From Ashes
by anarchxst
Summary: Madeline Hayes didn't understand a whole lot lately, if not these 3 things: Being a Slayer sucked. Stiles was an idiot. And something much more terrible than an Alpha or a Kanima was on its way to send Beacon Hills to Hell in a hand basket. Worst. Mission. Ever. Stiles/OC
1. Prologue

**[ **_Apocalypse Rising Trilogy, book one _**]**

**_From Ashes_  
written by anarchxst**

This story is hereby dedicated to my favorite canine who was judged unfairly by human beings and paid the ultimate price. _"Not all monsters do monstrous things."_ Rest in peace, Sarge.

_Speak out against pit bull prejudice and violence before it's too late._

* * *

**Prologue**

* * *

_**O**nce upon a time..._

_That's how these things begin, right? That's how old men in ancient villages would pass along fairy tales - stories of big, burly men rescuing helpless damsels from evil monsters._

_I guess things have changed since then._

Three rings and nothing.

She could feel herself gripping the phone so tightly, that it was moments from being smashed to pieces. It was the only thing that would keep her hand steady though. It was the only thing to stop _her _from breaking to pieces. Weak, defenseless pieces, ready to be ground into the dirt - right where she always knew she'd end up.

The fourth ring sounded. Still no answer.

_In my world, women carry swords and monsters have learned to fear them. These girls you think nothing of at first sight march into battles with stakes and crossbows to face the things that lurk in the shadows - and they live to tell the tales. _

_They are the chosen. _**_We _**_are the chosen._

_We are the warriors that keep you safe._

"Hey! I'm not here right now! Leave a message and I'll get back to you ASAP!"

Her stomach dropped when she heard the voice. Sure, it was prerecorded but the familiarity of it stung. The kindness and lightness in it reminded of another time, of better times. It reminded her of a kind woman comforting a weeping child and sounding heartbroken as she apologized over and over again.

It seemed so long ago that the trembling girl had almost forgotten that that child had once been her. When the long beep rang in her head, she swallowed.

_We are born and we are called - and for the sake of the world, we fight and we die. This is our mission._

_My whole life is only a blip in a very long lineage. I knew my fate and yet I never knew my purpose. I never thought that my life and perhaps one day my death meant anything in the greater scheme. Maybe it still doesn't mean a damn thing. _

"Buffy..." The name felt foreign on her tongue and fizzled out on her lips. She felt like a child, lost and too far from home. Dark strands of hair spilled into her face and she didn't bother tucking them back as they hid her glossy eyes. Eyes that held over a year of unshed tears, of loss. Of fear and sleepless nights. Of little more than pain. She felt a sob threatening to choke her breath and held it down.

"Something's happened..." she forced out. "Something...something's wrong."

_I'm not a hero or one set apart from many; I am a soldier. _

_I never really considered any differently until now - until Beacon Hills. _

"I didn't call for help. I think it's too late for that. I just wanted..." Her stomach knotted and she sighed. _Just wanted what? Forgiveness? To apologize? To tell you how much I screwed up?_ "I know what's coming and I-...I can't stop it. I just needed some advice."

She looked down at the pristine carpet, trying to settle her nerves. It was hardly working. "I mean, um, I know that you know what..." She pushed the sob in her chest down again. Now wasn't the time. Her voice escaped again, this time much quieter. "...what it feels like. Maybe then I won't be so afraid when it happens."

_My name is Madeline Hayes; I'm a vampire slayer - and this isn't a fairy tale._

Her throat was dry but her eyes were still threatening to flood her face with tears. "...I think I'm about to die."

* * *

**_S_**_even months before..._

His pace didn't slow when he entered the living room until he came to a complete halt at the side table by the couch where the phone was set. He roughly picked up the receiver and was about to hit the first number when his wife entered the room, horror in her intense gaze. "Chris, what do you think you're doing?"

"Using our last resort," was his short and equally gruff response.

Victoria shook her head furiously. "No. No, you can't mean...!"

"What choice do we have?!" He looked up from the phone to his wife, his own stare burning intently into hers. "There are two betas on the loose out there and an out of control Alpha. If those betas join its pack, we won't have the strength to stop them. You _know_ that."

"But you _can't _rely on help from...them. Yes, the council kept them in line once upon a time but they are gone!" There was a pain in her voice Chris hadn't heard in years and let out a frustrated sigh as he looked away, almost ashamed. The redheaded woman clenched her jaw before speaking again. "They're just as dangerous as the wolves now. Maybe _more_. There has to be another way. You cannot do this!"

His resolve returning at full force, he looked back at her with a hardened stare."I'm sorry. If you can think of another way, fine. But it's been ten years now. If we can't trust a god damn vampire slayer, who can we trust?"


	2. Chapter One: The Mission

_**From Ashes**_

**Chapter One: ****The Mission**

* * *

It was day number one hundred and eighty-seven and counting. Always counting. Maddie traced the long, thinning scar to the left of her belly button through the black cotton of her t-shirt. Sometimes, she swore it still stung a little.

"Say it."

Her eyes snapped up, squinting in the sunlight at the outline of the man in front of her. "No."

"You have to."

"It's stupid. _She_ knows it's stupid and _you_ know it's stupid." She shuffled in her spot and adjusted the bag on her shoulder. Why did it feel heavier than before?

"It's not stupid but even if it was - which it _isn't_, might I add - you have to say it anyway."

"But – !"

"Hayes, it's our code." Off of her raised eyebrow, he continued, "Okay, _your_ code. Not really my code. Well, sort of my code. Anyway – we can't let you leave until you say the code."

"It's an outdated legend. Not a code." She crossed her arms. "And when the hell did that become a rule?"

"Around the time there became about three thousand of you." She stayed silent and simply blinked at the older man, her mouth remaining a thin line. His shoulders slumped. "Your capacity for jokes and witty comebacks is on point as usual."

The teenager, in a huff, took an exasperated breath and kicked the dirt on the ground. "...into every generation, slayers are born. The chosen. We alone have the strength and skill to hunt the vampires, demons, and forces of darkness. To stop the spread of their evil and swell of their numbers."

"And that, my young padawan, is the end of your training," the man replied with a triumphant grin.

"Awesome. Now that I'm done feeding my absentee leader's ego, can I get out of here?" she bit back. Her tone even made her want to wince but when she looked up at the one eyed man, his demeanor stayed friendly regardless of her bad attitude. A frown tugged at her lips. "...I'm doing that thing again, aren't I?"

"It's alright, kid."

"But, Xander, I-"

He offered his hand with an understanding smile. "I know, Maddie."

She silently nodded and firmly took the hand. This was actually the most affectionate she'd been in months and it felt odd. Like, who actually shakes hands with a person who practically raised them as they go on their first mission _alone_? She was sure he understood why that's all she could do and appreciated the gesture nonetheless. It was more than some. Another few seconds and she let go, gripping her bag as a lump formed in her throat. "So...why _couldn't_ she be here?"

The man's smile faltered and his remaining eye scanned the ground. "It's complicated. She, ah...She sends her best."

'It's complicated' typically meant the older blonde woman still couldn't make eye contact with her yet, much less say goodbye. Maddie nodded again, a bit stiffer than before. "Right."

"She wishes she could be here."

"Sure, yeah. It's fine." Her stomach felt like it had been filled with lead - dense and weighted down. No room for anything else. She swallowed hard and gave him a guarded look. "Give her my best in return. And probably make it sound like I meant it, okay?"

The girl started towards the cab quietly regardless of her heavy bag and heavier feet. It was almost as if someone had latched a thousand tiny hooks into her skin and anchored her here, to San Francisco. To the past eight years. If she kept moving, so much would be torn away - or, worse, she would take it all with her. _Maybe that wouldn't be so bad. I could use the company._

Her footsteps paused at the thought and she turned to older man, fear in her eyes for the first time in what felt like a very long time. "I know I said that, um..." Her serious tone wavered and she huffed loudly. "I mean, I know that it's a solo thing. Which is fine. I get it. I'm ready. But does this mean..." Her voice became smaller with each hesitant sentence. "...are you still my Watcher?"

Xander smiled. "Yeah, Mads. And I'm just a call away."

She nodded curtly and quickly turned back to the cab, shoving her bag in the back. The young girl made haste as she got in and fought to not to look back, even as the taxi pulled away. Instead, Madeline dug through her bag and pulled out the picture she'd been given; it was of a small family gathered together in a brightly lit room. There was a middle aged man with a cold stare even as he smiled for the camera; a middle aged woman with short red hair, unfeeling blue eyes, and a frown that lined her mouth stood there like a proud lion next to the man. Then there was the girl; the daughter is what looked so out of place in the photo. Her long dark hair hung from her shoulders in loose curls and she wore a wide, carefree smile that managed to even reach her warm, brown eyes which seemed to hold nothing but happiness. Maddie scoffed, slightly angered by the bitterness in her own voice. The girl...she must not know what was really going on. The slayer turned over the picture to find a neatly displayed list.

_Alpha__\- has taken lives, capture and, if necessary, use lethal force._

_Betas__\- unknown if has taken lives, capture, question. Do not kill._

_Guard the girl. She attends Beacon Hills High School. You'll be doing the same. You know the drill. Don't reveal yourself._

_Keep patrolling regiment. No other unexplained deaths have been reported. Better safe than sorry._

_Once the problem is taken care of, report to HQ._

_\- BS_

_Such appropriate initials._ She finally took the chance to look up from the note as she smelled something sour in the air. She couldn't quite tell what it was but it certainly gave the smell of rotting corpses a run for their money. Her nose wrinkled in disgust and her eyes darted over to the portly cab driver. "Your car smells," she stated matter-of-factly.

"Hey, you're not exactly a field of fresh daisies yourself, princess." He glared at her through his rear view mirror and shook his head.

She eyed him a bit longer. "I'm confused. What does my lack of similarities with an open field have to do with the awful quality of your car?"

"That's it, missy." His frown deepened and his face began to turn a bright shade of red. "One more word and I pull over right freakin' here."

Maddie sighed quietly to herself and put the photo back in her bag. This would prove to be a very interesting trip, indeed.

* * *

He had nearly stumbled out of pure shock as he went to sit on Allison's bed - but, to be honest, that was probably an appropriate reaction on his part.

"Weird? Weird, how?" The words managed to escape Scott's throat the moment Allison mentioned the word weird - or, more specifically, the word 'weird' after the words 'my family's been acting'. The Argents put him on edge to begin with, but if they were acting stranger than normal, there was definitely something up.

Allison, though, was taken aback by how quickly her boyfriend answered. There was a panic he was attempting to hide in his voice and as she'd learned in the past, he wasn't a very good liar. "Just...weird. Not talking when I walk in a room. Giving each other these really strange looks. You know, the stuff they usually do, just..._more_." She let out a small laugh at the end to ease the tension. Although, when Scott didn't immediately reply, the corners of her lips tugged downward. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Huh? Oh. Yeah! Yeah, I'm fine. Are you?" he asked the last part genuinely. Things were getting increasingly strange in Allison's life and Scott could tell. It was probably much more difficult for her family to keep their secret from her than it was for him. A pang of guilt struck him at that.

She looked down at the pendant around her neck and sighed. "Yeah, it's fine… I just wish they would stop treating me like I'm this fragile, little doll. I can handle the truth."

_Could she?_ Scott shook the thought away. "Yeah, totally." He paused for a moment, deciding quickly on the right way to word what he would say next. "You know, maybe it's just something dangerous. They may not want you to get hurt."

"Dangerous? Right." She laughed again. "Maybe my family's part of the mafia or something. My dad's probably in the right business then."

He forced a laugh at that. "It's the perfect cover! No one would be the wiser."

Allison let a chuckle escape her. "Yeah, maybe. But seriously..." She sighed and bit down on her lip. "It feels like they're, I don't know...waiting for something."

Scott's eyebrows furrowed as his stomach coiled painfully. "...like what?"

"I don't know yet," she replied, her voice becoming increasingly worried, "but with the way they're acting..." She glanced over at Scott, noting his worried expression. Scooting closer to him, she gave him a gentle, reassuring smile and touched his shoulder. "Sorry. I didn't actually invite you over to talk about my crazy family. You came over to … _study_."

There was an emphasis on study that he immediately picked up on and he grinned, though something hung there in his thoughts. You have to stay away from Allison. That's what Derek had said - and he had promised he would. Yet, here he was in her bedroom for less than what his 'mentor' would see as noble reasons. All the while, as she looked at him the way she always did, it didn't matter. _What's the harm?_ was the only thought that repeated in his head and clung to him as he moved closer to her.

_...what's the harm?_

* * *

_The ground was soft and moist beneath her bare feet as she walked carefully into the forest. A warm breeze tousled her hair slightly and the full moon shined down brightly on her. She blinked then. The full moon. That meant something, didn't it? She gazed up at it curiously and gasped. The moon was terrifyingly massive; it almost took up a third of the whole night sky. She felt that it was hanging so low to her that she could almost touch it. Her fingered twitched at her side.** What if…?** She raised her hand slowly and shakily into the sky, reaching for the moon._

_That's when she heard it._

_A howl._

_It was so sudden and so loud that her outstretched arm jerked back. She instantaneously turned in the direction she'd heard the low, mournful sound from. Mournful? Is that how she would describe it? Lonely, even? Whatever it was, she started toward it, less like she made the decision to and more like she was being tugged on a leash. Dead leaves crunched beneath her feet as she neared the recurring sound. No. No, not one sound. There were several now and the sound had become deafening. An eruption of unbearable pain. Her breath caught at that moment and she stopped in her tracks._

_She closed her eyes and took a deep breath._

_The howling stopped. The woods became so quiet that she would've been able to hear a pin drop._

_Her eyes slowly opened and she suddenly had the urge to scream. Bodies. Bloodied, severed, and moving. Halved bodies moving towards her through the thick brush, reaching for her with pale, clawed fingers. She took a step back, checking her pockets for something - anything - she could use to defend herself. Nothing. They were getting closer._

_In a moment of sheer terror, she turned on her heel and sprinted. The howling started once again. The forest was becoming denser._

_"MADDIE!"_

_A voice rang out through the howling, close and etched with fear. Her pace quickened and her breathing became more ragged as she swerved around the trees. She felt her arm brush painfully with something sharp. A broken branch, maybe? She didn't have time to stop and check._

_"MADDIE!"_

_Out of her peripheral, she noted the sky had brightened. She glanced upwards, finding the moon had grown larger, gotten closer. Her heart raced and her eyes went forward again, causing her to come to an instant and unsteady halt. The howling grew louder behind her. She glanced down at her arm, where an open gash was now gushing with blood but it didn't concern her still. As her breathing slowed, her head snapped up again. The woods had ended. In front of her was an wide open field with grass reaching as far as the eye could see. That wasn't what caused her breath to catch._

_Several feet from her were two figures - one larger one holding the other in the air by the neck. The one on the ground had the deformed visage of what she clearly could tell was a vampire. The other seemed to be shadowed. This felt familiar as she suddenly noticed that it was raining. Had it been raining the whole time? She felt like it had as she focused on the two figures ahead. She wanted to run. She had to run. She had to save her this time. **Her? **__Her breath caught in her throat and she couldn't will her limbs to move. She knew, somehow, that she wouldn't make it. No matter how fast she ran, she knew she wouldn't change the outcome. It would happen._

_The vampire smiled and broke the shadowed figures neck instantly._

_"No!" Maddie screamed, the word feeling like it had shredded through her throat. In the next moment, a large rough hand gripped her neck. She was being held so tightly that she couldn't suck in a breath. Suddenly, the noise behind her had turned from howling to something much closer. Breathing - low, heavy breathing right next to her ear. There was a growl._

_The beast chuckled menacingly in her ear. "Time's up."_

_The hand tightened._

Maddie's eyes shot open as she took a sharp, gasping breath in. As her gaze adjusted to the dark, she looked around. Her bags were piled in the corner and the clock next to her read **4:17 AM.**

She sighed heavily as her eyes made their way to the ceiling. Twelve hours before, she'd been on a bus from San Francisco. She'd successfully made it to the bus stop in the cab with no further issues. The bus trip went smoothly as well, due to the lack of people. Now, she laid in her stiff bed in a Beacon Hills motel room that smelled almost as bad as the cab from earlier_. Karma, maybe?_She shook her head at the idea and closed her eyes.

This was her new base of operations, her new home - if she could call it that. _And today…_ She groaned quietly and turned over.

Today she'd be starting a new terrifying mission.

Today… she was starting high school.

* * *

**Author's Notes: So I didn't really count on so much support so soon! In return, here's chapter one! To the Buffy fans, this is not the last of the cameos. To everyone, let me know whatcha think!**


	3. Chapter Two: Weird

**Chapter Two: Weird**

* * *

"Still not talking to me?"

If anything, Scott should've immediately noted the prolonged, icy silence coming from Stiles. This had been an ongoing trend since parent-teacher night and with good reason - Stiles' dad had gotten hurt. Any silent treatment or punishment thereafter he deserved for not being there that night, as far as Stiles was concerned. He could hear the concern in Scott's voice. "Okay, can you at least tell me if your dad's okay? It's just a bruise, right?"

Anger flared in Stiles' stomach. "Some soft tissue damage?" If Scott wasn't a werewolf, Stiles would've totally kicked his ass. He thought about trying anyway as Scott sheepishly muttered out, "...nothing that big..."

Nothing. Not a glare. Not an angry remark. Stiles was anything but outright stupid and knew just how much his silence would sting. Another uncomfortable pause engulfed them and he could almost see hear Scott shrinking in his seat. "...You know I feel really bad about it, right? Okay...what if I told you that I'm trying to figure this whole thing out and..." The uneasiness in his stomach grew once again and Scott's lowered his voice. "...that I went to _Derek _for help?"

Stiles released a loud, irritated sigh, unable to hold his thoughts on the matter in, which happened to annoy him further. "If I was talking to you, I'd say that you're an _idiot _for trusting him." There was a slight pause again as he silently scolded himself before he spoke again. "...But obviously I'm not talking to you."

The bell sounded above their heads, followed by a silence that - funny enough - was now unnerving Stiles. Questions had begun buzzing around his head as he imagined what horrible advice the older, much less pleasant werewolf had given Scott. Seconds ticked away, eating at him before he quickly spun around in his chair. "What did he say?"

Scott smiled at him and looked like he was about to speak when the door to the classroom abruptly interrupted him. Both Scott and Stiles' attention was brought to the forefront of the room, as was everyone else's for the time being.

The principal had entered the room but not alone. As he went over to quietly speak to the teacher, a petite girl seemed to step out from behind him. Her lightly bronzed skin would've delicately complimented her long, chestnut hair fell that onto her shoulders in waves, if it didn't frame a positively joyless face. She looked around the room quite curiously, as if she didn't understand what she was seeing. Like she was a stranger to _classrooms_. She wore her eye makeup heavy and dark like some sort of viking warpaint and her clothes were simple, clearly more for comfort than for school - a black, long sleeve top, worn blue jeans, and a silver necklace that was tucked under her shirt. She gripped her books tighter as she examined every face in the room and tapped her shiny, Doc Marten clad feet impatiently.

"Class..." the teacher began in a less than enthused tone as he stood and the principal took his inaudible leave. He stood behind the girl with a flat look. "Please welcome your new classmate, Madeline Hayes."

The was an uncomfortable silence that filled the room as every pair of eyes were set on Madeline. Her eyes grew wide and her mouth remained expressionless as the moment painfully stretched on. To be honest, Stiles assumed, from her look and expression, that she was the type to curse like it was breathing and knock someone out for bumping her in the hall. Like a cliche from a movie jumped out of the screen. Cute - in a badass almost-punk way, but more on the terrifying side.

"Well?" the teacher prodded, giving her his own expectant stare.

She looked over at the very wide, very red man, mouth now hung open. What was she doing? Why wouldn't she just sit down? Her gaze turned back toward the class and her mouth clamped shut. Her grip on her books loosened and she lifted up one hand, giving a slight wave. "Yep. I'm new."

Stiles shot Scott a confused look at the same time that his friend mirrored him. There was a small wave of giggles rising up from some of the other students. The large, red man tapped her shoulder and pointed to an empty desk at the far end of the room, next to Stiles. "_Well_, take your seat. You can introduce yourself on your own time."

She frowned and furrowed her brows, looking as though she was thinking about punching the teacher. Instead, she said, "You don't have to be rude."

More giggling sounded around the room, including from Scott. The man became slightly redder and even Stiles snorted a laugh. "_Sit_," the teacher said in a booming voice.

"_Fine_," she added in a similiar, almost mocking tone and just loud enough for the room to hear before she swerved around a few desks to the lone empty one. The teacher had started to speak before she even dropped her books on her desk and her backpack on the floor. As she sat down in the cold, metallic seat, she quickly dug in her bag, the sound of metal clanking around out of sight prodding at Stiles' curiosity. All the while, she didn't notice there were still two set of curious eyes on her - that is until she set her notebook and pen on the desk.

She slowly turned her head toward them, looking from Scott to Stiles. Her eyes were black - well, not black. The brown was so dark that they seemed like tar pits, scalding if he looked too long. Everything about her felt bitter and angry and _violent_, especially the glare she was giving him.

"What?" she whispered harshly, causing both him and Scott to shrug defensively and turn back to each other.

Scott's eyes widened as she turned to the front of the classroom and he turned to Stiles, "I'll tell you after class."

Stiles sighed and nodded, shaking the feeling of dread that the girl brought in with her.

* * *

_This should have been a lot easier._ That was the thought that kept floating through Maddie's head as she walked down the hallway to the cafeteria. _This should have been much, much easier._ In the eight years that she'd been a vampire slayer, her 'mentors' made no real mention of their high school experience. Faith didn't seem to have a high school experience at all due to her altogether rough upbringing, which was entirely understandable. On the other hand, Buffy seemed to have different motives on the subject altogether. She, Mister Harris, and the few times Miss Rosenberg - their resident authority on magic - stopped by, they made inside jokes but never really delved into their pasts around the slayers in training. So, this mission in particular would in fact be very difficult.

Madeline grumbled under her breath and entered the large room. Throngs of teenagers filed in and out, chatting and laughing. It seemed a bit like the mess hall from the training grounds in Scotland, only much friendlier and far less strict. She'd been a bit hungry but the smell of the food being served seemed to curb her appetite altogether. Or maybe she was feeling nauseous beforehand; she couldn't tell. The high school experience wasn't what she was there for anyway. Cliques, homework, and bad food didn't seem all that great, to be honest. Besides, even if she was a student, she wasn't there at all to simply _be _a student. Maddie sighed and gave herself a moment to strengthen her resolve. _I'm a Slayer. I protect people. I'm here to protect people._

Her eyes scanned around the room, analyzing the faces more closely now. She spotted a few of her classmates from earlier that day, including the two strange boys from her first period History class. Speaking of, they seemed to be getting stranger by the minute as she noticed one of them ducking behind a textbook. Her eyebrows knitted together in confusion but let it go fairly quickly when she followed the boy's gaze. Maddie's eyes lit up instantly as she was met with the sight of the girl from the photo she'd been given. Allison Argent.

Now, this would prove to be the tough part. Seeing as she'd spent half of her life with the same group of girls, she'd had no reason to go out and make new friends. Her best friend, Marie, would tell her how easy it was but Maddie never really caught on. It was tough enough to do that without being a supernatural being. She couldn't necessarily discuss the process of beheading a M'Fashnik demon or how the best made weapons didn't even come from this dimension. What did high school kids talk about - especially the new ones? Madeline slowly made her way over to the mostly vacant table, threading together a lie in her head to the best of her ability.

She stopped at the table where a fair girl with strawberry blonde hair continued prattling on about something. The girl seemed almost unapproachable, like she had a force field around her that was both magnetized and electrified.

The leader of her squad, Emery, gave off an alarmingly similar aura and frequently went around calling herself a quote 'boss ass bitch', to which the rest of them would laugh. That didn't make it any easier to talk to the girl, though. People like that were intimidating, like her personality towered over others and left them in shadow.

Of course, when the girl looked up, she gave Maddie an expectant look. Allison, who sat across the table from the girl, looked behind her, following her friend's annoyed stare.

Maddie took a breath and forced a smile. "Hi, ah..." _Be polite, _she reminded herself quickly. _These people can't see what you're thinking. _She could argue that with the laser-focused and narrowed look the red head was giving her. "Sorry to interrupt but there were no other tables available."

She didn't actually know that for a fact but hoped they didn't either.

"Erm, no, it's no problem!" Allison replied a bit awkwardly. She glanced back at her friend who gave her a shocked look and subtly shook her head. Allison, having already extended the greeting, smiled over at the strawberry blonde. "Right?"

The girl, clearly put on the spot by her friend, cocked her head to the side and forced her own smile. She held out a hand toward an empty chair, reluctantly obliging the request in silence. Madeline uneasily nodded and took a seat, dropping her leather messenger bag at her feet. She looked up at the two girls, who gave her curious and expectant stares. There was a short pause before Maddie's eyes widened, realizing the first mistake she'd made. "Oh! I'm Madeline. I'm new."

Allison smiled a toothy, genuine smile. "Really? Me too!" She gave a quiet, sheepish laugh. "Well, okay, not _as_ new, but new."

Maddie forced her own laugh, although she wasn't quite sure why she was laughing. It seemed to be the best social response she could think of, though.

"I'm Allison," the brunette added and pointed to the other girl who didn't seem quite as enthused. "This is Lydia."

"So. Year?" The question was blunt and somewhat impolite, but Lydia didn't seem to care. Madeline stared blankly at her for a moment before Lydia rolled her eyes and went on. "Sophomore, Junior, Senior...?"

Maddie actually seemed to prefer this to the fake smile though. It felt honest. "Oh! Sophomore. Um, I was actually wondering..." That being considered, she felt particularly dishonest at the moment. She reached in her bag, sifting through the contents - including her hand ax that was wrapped in a thin black cloth but she did well not to let people see that - and pulled out a piece of paper. She wasn't used to thinking on her feet in anything but combat so this was probably the flimsiest thing she could come up with. "Do either of you know where Mister...Finstock's room is? I didn't get that far on the tour."

"You mean Coach?" Allison asked. She held out her hand and nodded toward the paper. Maddie reluctantly handed it over and waited for Allison to look over it as Lydia continued to pick idly at her food. Allison smiled and gave Madeline the paper back. "Good news! You have Econ with us. I can show you where it is if you wait by the lockers outside the cafeteria after sixth period."

"Sure! Thanks." she answered a little too quickly, finally feeling like she was getting somewhere. This was probably the best way to keep the youngest Argent in her sights though.

"No problem! Us new girls have to stick together," Allison replied with a grin and nudged Maddie lightly in the shoulder with her own. She then motioned to Lydia who had not been paying attention whatsoever. "And if that doesn't work, we have someone to show us the ropes. Right, Lydia?"

"Hm?" was Lydia's only reply as she looked up, a dull expression resting on her features.

* * *

Stiles turned around and examined the three girls sitting at the table - mostly to catch a glance at Lydia Martin but that was beside the point. He looked across table at the friend he was still cross at. "Man, do you see this?"

Scott peeked over his textbook at the girls. "Uh, yeah. Why?" He ducked again.

"Is this the year of the instantly popular new girls? I mean, that weird one from our History class is over there already and it's only day one!" He stuffed some more food in his mouth and continued speaking. "Which, by the way, makes no sense. People spend their entire school careers trying to even get half as close they did to girls like Lydia. Myself included."

Scott shrugged but Stiles could barely tell from the propped up book between them. "She just sat down over there. Have you tried that?"

"Nah, too simple." Stiles bit his thumbnail, eyes narrowing on Madeline. She was certainly not the type to want to hang out with someone like Lydia, or that Lydia would allow to sit there. It must've been Allison. Allison was too nice and probably invited her over there. Or something. "Seriously, dude. It's like a bad omen."

Scott, still hiding behind his book, groaned. "Okay, could you not talk about bad omens? I've got enough to worry about."

"What?" Stiles responded and looked back at Scott. "Oh. Right."

* * *

"So what were you going on about before?" Lydia asked quite plainly, speaking as if it were only her and Allison at the table and waving her fork around as she spoke.

Maddie sat there quietly, praying from lunch to be done with. She wasn't hungry and now she seemed to be becoming more and more bored by the second. She could've spent the time doing something useful, like working out in the gym. Of course, she didn't know where the gym was yet.

Allison's head perked up from the book she was reading. "Huh? Oh yeah! That." She glanced over at Madeline, a bit embarrassed. "I'm doing this history project and -"

"Sweetie, lunch is over in like fifteen minutes," Lydia interrupted with a plastered on smile. "You might want to speed this up."

Allison gave her a knowing and slightly chastising look before directing her attention back to her book. "Well, um..." She sounded a bit embarrassed. "...In here there's this excerpt about the beast of Gevaudan."

There was a pause. Madeline gave Allison a confused look for more than one reason. Lydia, who seemed to be only half paying attention at that point spoke up. "The what of who?"

"The beast of Gevaudan," Allison repeated without missing a beat or even getting mildly annoyed. "Listen. 'A quadruped wolf-like monster, prowling the Auvergne and south Dordogne areas of France during the year 1764 to 1767."

Madeline's head unintentionally perked up. Something was certainly off about this. This couldn't be right; normal teenagers don't talk about monsters during lunch and she didn't need social skills to know that.

"'La Bete killed over a hundred people, becoming so infamous that the King Louie the 15th sent one of his best hunters to try and kill it.'" The pale brunette looked up at her best friend almost expectantly.

"Boring," Lydia replied instantaneously. Maddie withheld a relieved breath.

Allison leaned in closer as if she was revealing a secret. "Even the church eventually declared the monster a messenger of Satan."

"Hmm..." Lydia tilted her head, as if she were actually thinking her answer over. "Still boring."

Allison continued to read aloud, regardless of her friend's tiresome remarks. "Cryptozoologists believe it may have been a subspecies of hoofed predator, possibly a mesonychid."

"Slipping into a coma bored," came Lydia's next comment.

This time, Madeline let out a small laugh. It wasn't forced, but it certainly didn't sound natural either. It was nervous, like a hiccup forcing its way up.

Allison looked up at the newcomer, slightly disheartened. Lydia gave Allison a pointed stare, using her fork to point at Madeline. "See? She agrees with me."

Maddie paused, frozen in horror at the sound she'd made. She pushed through her embarrassment and grabbed at the first thought. "I-it's just that...okay, it sounds interesting, but instead it comes out like..." She thought for a moment before eyeing her textbooks. She held up a book that happened to be titled _'Chemistry: In Practice, In Action!'_ "...this. Like getting a really cool gift in a brown paper bag, you know?"

It was all she could come up with - calling Allison's story boring. This was definitely not how she imagined her first meeting with the girl would go. She assumed it would have been during a class or something much less conspicuous. Instead, Allison was talking about werewolves during lunch and Maddie was making an ass of herself.

Lydia's smile was almost smug when she looked back at Allison. Maddie took that as a cue to shrink away from the conversation again, which she was relieved to take advantage of. She wasn't aware of how difficult it would be to talk to normal teenagers. It was _exhausting_. Allison seemed hardly phased by the comments altogether. "Hold on, hold on! While others believe it was a powerful sorcerer who could shape-shift into a man-eating _monster_."

This girl clearly knew more than Madeline was originally told she knew. She expected a girl without the slightest idea what went bump in the night but here was possibly the most clueless Argent talking about monsters over lunch. It was almost like being back at headquarters, only a million times more awkward and stressful.

Lydia raised a questionable eyebrow. "Any of this have anything to do with your family?"

"This," Allison continued, clearly enthralled in the book again. "It is believed that la Bete was finally trapped and killed by a renown hunter who claimed his wife and four children were the first to fall prey to the creature." She looked up at the two girls. "His name was _Argent_."

The shock on Maddie face was something she could not fake. It obviously wasn't for the same reasons as Allison's own shock but it was certainly a real emotion. The Slayer was starting to understand more fully the issue she was presented with and what the rest of the Argents wanted her here for. This wasn't protect Allison from what she didn't know; it was to protect her from what she was already on the cusp of discovering. Maddie was supposed to be what? An impenetrable wall? Was she supposed to close the book on the table as Allison continued to read it? Of course, she tried to hide her reaction; she by all counts was supposed to have no idea that that was the girl's last name.

Lydia's stare, though, was still genuinely blank. "Your ancestors killed a big wolf. So what?"

"Not just a big wolf. Take a look at this picture," Allison replied as she turned the book and propped it up for her friend to see. "What does it look like to you?"

As if her time at that table hadn't been odd enough, she examined the look on Lydia's face. The girl had gone sickly pale and her eyes widened in what could only be described as horror. There was something else though that Maddie had to take a second or two to pinpoint. Was it...familiarity?

"Lydia?" Allison looked at her friend worriedly. "Lydia."

The strawberry blonde's eyes snapped up to Allison's brown ones and she spoke, her voice on edge. "It looks. Like a big. Wolf." At that she smiled and stood. "See you in History."

Lydia didn't seem to deem it necessary to say goodbye to Maddie as she left but it didn't seem to bother the newcomer in the least. In fact, she was still processing the information she'd just been handed.

Allison sighed heavily and set the book down again. She glanced over at Madeline, embarrassment written all over her face. "Oh god, I'm so sorry." She gave an apologetic smile. "This must be super weird. I don't know what I was thinking." The youngest Argent laughed quietly at herself. "I swear, I'm not always this much of a freak."

Maddie gave the girl a blank stare, clearly not used to people apologizing for something as menial as 'weirdness'. Or, you know, talking about monsters. "What? Oh. No, no, it's fine. There's nothing wrong with weird." She smiled at the girl, attempting to reassure her. "I can handle weird. Besides, I've heard weirder."

Both curious and appreciative, Allison replied with a meek, "Really?"

"Definitely. Like, everyday." As if on cue, warning signs began flashing in Maddie's brain. _Too much information! Alert! Mayday!_ After a short pause, she blinked and quickly added, "I just...have a really weird family."

Allison a laugh and a knowing smile. "That makes two of us."

Maddie tried to hide her grimace at the reply. She couldn't help but wish she hadn't sat at Allison's table for lunch. At that, she heard a voice speaking loudly over the few students left in the cafeteria. Her eyes flicked over to the direction of the voice, finding the pale, scrawny boy from her History class looking increasingly annoyed and taking a book out of the other boy's grasp, leaving him out in the open.

Allison's eyebrows furrowed. "Scott?"

Scott's eyes darted over to Allison as he began to make a hasty escape, following his friend out of the cafeteria. Maddie looked over at the scene, recognizing the boy almost immediately.

"Sorry," Allison began quickly as she grabbed her things and stood. "I gotta go." Without waiting for a response, she hurriedly left the cafeteria as well. "Scott, wait!"

"S'okay..." Maddie muttered to herself. She exhaled loudly as more and more questions filled her head. She gathered her things and took out her phone as she strolled out of the room. "I gotta make a call anyway."

* * *

**A/N: EDITED. Thank you for all of the reviews! For those who are Buffy fans, I just wanted to let you know that this doesn't follow the comic continuity. Things get super confusing and I don't want to alienate those who aren't familiar with BtVS too badly.**


	4. Chapter Three: Speaking In Code

**Chapter Three: Speaking In Code**

* * *

The bell had rung once more and sixth period had finally ended. Madeline struggled with her bag as she thought about all the pointless work she'd already been given. It'd already been a hellish day and she'd only just narrowly avoided a detention for 'rudely talking back' in Chemistry. That seemed to be the general consensus from her teachers thus far – Maddie was _apparently_ rude. She'd honestly never missed training so much in her life when compared side by side to high school. Finally, the day was nearly through and she was headed to… She stopped in her tracks. Which class was she headed to? She quickly rummaged through her bag and pulled out the same piece of paper from earlier.

_**Seventh Period….Economics**_

She stared at it for a moment longer with a befuddled look on her face. _Economics?_ _That was a __**required**__ class?_ "Okay…" she muttered, shoving the paper back in her bag and looking around as she started walking again.

As she swerved around other students, her thoughts wandered back to her strange lunch experience. Unfortunately no one had answered her phone call but she made sure the message she left was off putting enough to warrant a call back.

"Madeline!"

She paused at the sound of her name and looked around. Odds were it would be for a different Madeline anyway - no one there knew her well enough to try and get her attention for any reason she could think of. That was when she spotted Allison waving her down. _Right!_ The light bulb had flickered on in her head, reminding her of what the girl had said during lunch - at least the parts that weren't about hunters and giant wolves. She refrained from letting out a deep, frustrated sigh and walked over to Allison with a wave and a small, forced smile. The girl in front of her returned the smile. "Hey! I was starting to think you were going to pass right by."

"Sorry," Maddie said almost begrudgingly as she adjusted the bag on her shoulder. "I was spacing out, I guess."

"No, that's totally understandable!" Allison waved it off nonchalantly. "I'm sure you've got a lot on your plate, you know with it being your first day and all." She didn't wait for Madeline to reply as she started walking and motioned for the other girl to follow. "C'mon! The last thing you want is for Coach to point out that you're late. Trust me."

The petite Slayer nodded and began walking beside the taller girl. Allison continued talking as they quickly went down the hallway and around another corridor. Madeline nodded and smiled, only half paying attention. If there was anything she learned from growing up with essentially only teenage girls, it was to at least pretend you were listening. She hated it though; she felt so very..._fake_. She knew though...she knew that it wasn't about actually _making_ friends. She was protecting this girl, all the while not letting anyone know what she really was. She was sure that it was hard enough to play off that this was a normal town without a vampire slayer being thrown in the mix. "...and that's hard enough to deal with, you know?"

The shorter girl blinked and looked up. Clearly, from the look on Allison's face, a response was expected.

"Oh, yeah." _You weren't listening_, a voice in the back of Maddie's head chastised. She mentally shook it off and followed Allison into the classroom that was already nearly full. She noticed the girl spot that boy from earlier - _Scott, wasn't it?_ \- and hurry to the seat behind him. The other strange boy had tried to take the seat but was just barely beaten to it by Allison and took the seat beside her.

"Madeline, over here!" Allison pointed to the seat diagonal from her that happened to be next to Scott and in front of his friend. She refrained from grumbling and swallowed her pride as she walked over and took the seat. Uncomfortably she turned slightly to Allison and the two boys. The fair brunette gestured to Maddie. "Guys, this is Madeline. Madeline, this is my boyfriend, Scott, and his friend, Stiles."

"Really, everyone can just call me Maddie. It's fine," she replied politely.

"We met actually," the boy behind her - _Stiles? That's a weird name_. - interjected. "Well, sort of. She made our history teacher nearly pop a blood vessel in record time." He looked over at her and gestured with his pencil in hand. "Kudos on that, by the way."

"Thanks?" Maddie replied with a confused look. "But, wait, isn't that bad?"

"Nah." Stiles shook his head and leaned back in his seat. "In fact, you might want to try it on all the teachers around here. Extra points if you get Harris to quit."

The other two had already started up their own conversation, which from the looks on their faces was not going very well. "The…Chemistry teacher?" Maddie sighed. "I think he already doesn't like me."

"See? You're already half way there. Good job." Off of her blank stare, he gave her his own strange look. "You _really _don't get sarcasm, do you?"

"Should I?" came her biting remark. It wasn't the first time someone had told her that.

Stiles wrinkled his nose and shook his head. "Of course not. I mean, it's not like most people in high school use it or anything."

She silently gave the boy an odd stare and turned around in her desk as the teacher slammed a book down.

"Let's settle down," Coach started, giving his class a scrutinized stare. "Let's start with a quick summary of last night's reading." As Maddie took out her book, others raised their hands. "Greenberg, put your hand down. Everybody knows you did the reading." The large, slightly crazed-looking man walked around his desk. He snapped his fingers and pointed at Madeline. "You. Girl in black."

Her head snapped up and she gave him a wide-eyed stare. "M-Madeline."

"Yeah, whatever. Madison." He folded his arms and continued to glare at her. "Last night's reading, Summary. Go."

Maddie mouth hung open for a second before she found her voice. "I didn't do the reading. I'm actually new…"

"Pfft! Like I haven't heard that one before," Coach went on, suspicion seeping into his voice.

"No, seriously, Coach. She's new. It's her first day," Scott spoke up, throwing Maddie a side glance. She mouthed a _'thank you'_ in which Scott simply nodded.

Coach Finstock gave another suspicious look before heading back over to his desk, sifting through the papers on it. "I don't know what you're trying to pull but I think I'd know if we had a new -" He picked up a paper, squinting at it. "Madeline Hayes. Grade ten. Seventh period." He slammed the paper back down and looked over at the girl who was sinking down in her seat. "Keep up, Hayes. I'm watching you." He gestured two fingers to his eyes then to her. He then turned his attention back to Scott. "Fine then! Since you're full of helpful information today, how about you, McCall!"

He glanced up at his teacher, with the same deer caught in the headlights look that Maddie had worn seconds ago. "Wha…"

"The reading." Coach sat on his desk and looked down at Scott expectantly.

"...Last night's reading?" Scott asked, clearly stalling.

Coach shook his head slightly. "How 'bout, ah...the reading of the Gettysburg address?"

Scott face went from surprise to confusion in all of about five seconds. "What?"

"That's sarcasm," he deadpanned. "You familiar with the term 'sarcasm', McCall?"

"Very," Scott replied, looking back at Stiles. Maddie threw a side glance to the boy behind her, who looked very proud of himself.

_Seems to be the theme of the class_, Maddie thought with an eye roll as she faced forward again.

* * *

The school day had finally ended and a distinct feeling of freedom seemed to wash over Madeline. On the other hand, she hadn't managed to shake Allison off her trail. She seemed to be going on about Scott, who apparently seemed to be avoiding her for most of the day. Whatever had been wrong though seemed to slightly clear up after class. Now, Allison wore a smile as they left the building and she continued on about something happening later that night.

Maddie felt slightly guilty. Allison was a genuinely nice person who honestly seemed to like her for some unknown reason. And here was Madeline feigning interest and hardly listening. In fact, she knew the only reason she was even pretending to listen was simply due to her mission. She pushed the thought to the back of her mind and continued her seemingly foolproof method of smiling and nodding.

"Oh, my dad's here!" Allison smiled and waved off in the other direction. Maddie turned and spotted an older man standing outside of an SUV as something dawned on her – it the man from the picture. She withheld a sigh as she continued to follow the younger Argent. "Dad, hi."

"Hey, sweetheart," he said with the same smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, which then darted over to Madeline. "Who's your friend?"

Allison gestured to her. "This is Maddie. She's new."

"Madeline Hayes," Maddie added, her tone almost sounding professional. She smiled politely and stuck out her hand. "Nice to meet you, Mister Argent."

He cautiously shook the girl's hand, studying her carefully as if she were a wild animal in a cage. "...New?"

Maddie's smile widened and she nodded. "Just started today."

"Welcome to Beacon Hills. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do." He let go of her hand, stuffing both of his into his coat pockets.

Maddie looked back at the school, then to Allison, and back to her father. "It's been good so far. Can't complain." She felt as if she was speaking in code to the man.

"Good. Allison," the old Argent continued, turning to his daughter, "we should get home. I'm sure your new friend has a lot of work to do."

Allison nodded briskly to her father and turned to Maddie. "See you tomorrow, then?"

Madeline gave a short nod to the girl. "Yep, see you tomorrow."

Allison waved as she got in the SUV and her father gave Maddie one last pointed glance before walking around the car to the driver's side. As they drove off, the slayer sighed heavily and kicked some dirt on the ground. Her stomach coiled as she thought of tomorrow - and even the day after that. How long did she need to be here? And exactly how long were the Argents going to leave their daughter in the dark about it?

* * *

The sun had set and Madeline had only managed to finish half of her homework – something she hadn't done since about the second grade. Of course there was much, much more of it these days and understandably so. That didn't mean she had to like it. _How did they expect kids to do this every day? _she recalled thinking. Now, it was quarter past eight and she'd been roaming the streets of the small town with a leather messenger back at her side full of handheld weapons. Miss Summers had told her to keep up her patrolling regiment and report any other odd activity. Alas, there seemed to be hardly any odd activity in the town. She'd been out for hours and not even one vampire seemed to rear its ugly head. There were no missing bodies from the cemetery according to the skittish boy who worked there. He seemed a bit perturbed at the question in general though and probably wouldn't have told her anyway.

At that point, she felt as if her only reasoning for being out was to avoid her mountain of work and the rancid smell of the motel room.

Her feet continued to lead her all around town and somehow managed to make it all the way back to the high school. It was one of the few places she had memorized the route to so it was really no surprise that she had unconsciously found herself there. She was about to head back though, as it seemed pointless to even patrol the area. Unfortunately, that was when things started picking up for her that night - and in probably the strangest way possible.

"AOWOOOUUUUUUOOUUUU!"

That was the sound she heard over the loud speaker all around the school grounds. It was certainly enough to make her stop and look back at the school. "What in the _hell _was that?" she muttered to herself. Whatever it was, it sounded human at least. _Maybe someone was pulling a prank or …_

The sound that came next was the one that truly shook her at her core.

A howl. A howl like she heard in her nightmare. The type of howl she was trained to know. Suddenly she knew whatever was in that school certainly was not human.

She gripped her messenger bag and strode over in the direction of the school. As she tried to press in the door, it wouldn't budge. Taking a step back, she quickly gave the door a firm kick. She heard the lock break and the door - half off its hinge - swung open. She took one last look around and entered the building cautiously. Her footsteps echoed in the empty halls as she walked slowly, listening for any other sounds. She took another measured step before hearing what sounded like a guttural roar now outside the building. Her head snapped over to the direction of the sound and she started running toward it as fast as her feet would allow. Of course, it didn't last long as she neared another door that swung open.

Two boys ran in and swiftly closed the doors behind them, holding it tight. She stopped in her tracks as the boys heaved in breaths and turned toward her.

Before her stood the same strange boys from earlier that day, Scott and Stiles.

And now they were gawking at her.

In the empty halls of the school, all three voices echoed loudly, "What are you doing here?!"

* * *

**A/N: Yes, Night School is coming. After all, to quote JK Rowling, "there are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other". Or in this case, you know, being super suspicious of each other. Either way.**


	5. Chapter Four: Deja Vu

**Chapter Four: Deja Vu**

* * *

"Really? Damn." A short, mirthless laugh escaped Kate's lips. "Those little girls know how to work quick, don't they?"

"And you're sure it was her," Victoria spoke out, gripping the glass in her hand tightly.

Chris flipped through the pages in the manila folder. A cheaply copied picture was attached to one of the sheets of paper. The girl wore a deep frown and a dull stare – a very different face than she wore for show earlier that day. "Madeline Hayes. Sixteen." He threw the pages on the table, in front of the two women. "It was her."

The redhead picked up the paper that had the photograph copied onto it, scanning of the information quickly before throwing it back down. "She should have checked in with us first before introducing herself to Allison."

"And ruin the element of surprise?" Kate chimed in with the same amount of malice etched in her voice. "We couldn't have that."

The graying man eyed his sister for a moment before turning to his wife. "Look, we wanted fast results and here she is. I don't like this any more than you do – "

"You sure about that, big brother?" came Kate's sharp comment as she stood, now eye level with him. "Cause the way it's looking is that you don't trust your _family_ to get the job done but you'll bring in a complete stranger with what? Super powers?"

"We have no reason to think the Council isn't on our side," he replied, giving the younger Argent a hard stare. "And it isn't the first time one of us has called on them for help, is it?"

Kate's nostrils flared and her jaw clenched tightly as she glared at her brother. "Wake up, Chris. That was nine long years ago. We _knew_ what we were up against."

"_We_? If I recall, nine years ago you were shouting about how you didn't want to be a part of this family." Chris' voice was growing louder as he continued. "_You_ had no idea what we were up against."

Kate folded her arms and laughed. "You mean just like Allison?" At the mere mention, she saw a blaze of anger in Chris' stare. Pleased with the result, her own gaze narrowed on the man. "Face it - you trust a bunch of demons over your own blood. If you haven't noticed, they're not kept on a leash anymore. The Council you knew is _dead_."

Victoria's glass slammed down on oak tabletop, calling both hunters' attention. There was a pause as the woman stared down at her drink, lost in the thoughts of another time. She drew in a breath and raised her dark stare to her husband. "I would like to meet this girl by the end of the week if you insist she spend time with our daughter."

Chris silently nodded before sending one more look back at his sister and leaving the room.

* * *

Both panicked boys held the doors tightly shut. Scott turned to Stiles, eyes wide with fear. "Lock it! Lock it!"

"Does it look like I have a key?!" Stiles replied incredulously.

"Grab something!" Scott replied hurriedly. "Anything!"

Madeline stood there, frozen by the event that had gone down. What in god's name were they doing there at the school that late and what exactly _were_ they running from? _Unless…_ The howl. Did they see it? Did they even know what they saw? Regardless of the things the girl had seen in her short life, including werewolves, it didn't mean things like this didn't tend to catch her off guard. She stared at the boys and the color drained from her face as one of them stood and looked out the small window in the door.

The first boy – _Scott, I think? Yeah, Scott._ – stood as well and braved a glance out the window on his side. He looked to his friend, horrified. "No."

The second boy who Maddie couldn't remember the name of quite yet passed his friend something. "Yes."

"Stiles, don't!" Scott shouted as the other boy pushed open the door and left.

Maddie's eyes widened and she rushed over to the doors to look outside. She quickly glanced over to Scott. "What's he doing?"

"Um," Scott began, as if something was caught in his throat. "The pliers. G-grabbing those pliers."

Her gaze only grew more confused as she looked out the window again. "For what?!"

Scott didn't answer as they watched Stiles kneel down and grab the pliers on the ground carefully. That was when something caught Scott's attention and he began banging on the window. "Run! Run! Stiles!"

Madeline looked up farther to find what had Scott so terrified. Hunched over and moving from behind the jeep in the parking lot was a large, snarling, red eyed wolf. It's fur-covered, elongated arms launched it forward towards Stiles. Her mouth hung open, she back away slowly from the door. _No. It's too early. It's only been a day. One freaking day!_

In a matter of moments the door opened again and Stiles quickly fastened the pliers in the door handles. The two boys checked outside once more, even using the flashlight once over.

"Okay, what is going on?!" Maddie shouted. Of course, she had an idea but there was no way she could let them know that. "And what are you doing here?!"

The boys turned to her with equally horrified expressions. "What are _we_ doing here?!" Stiles nearly shouted his indignant reply. "What are _you_ doing here?!"

_Damn it._ What _was_ she doing there? She swallowed and gave the two an indignant glare as her grip tightened on her bag. "I went for a walk. I heard a noise."

"Oh, so you went for a walk at night by yourself around the school?" The pale boy gave a shrug. "Because that makes perfect sense."

She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes on him. "I. Was. _Bored_. So yeah, I went for a walk. At night. By myself."

Stiles paused and gave her a suspicious look. "…Are the schoo-"

"_Yes_, around the school!" Maddie cut him off abruptly. "I'm new, remember?! I know about two places in town and this is one of them!"

"You said you heard a noise?" Scott asked suddenly.

Calming herself a bit, Maddie blinked and looked over at him. "…Yeah? It was coming from the school speakers."

Stiles' eyebrows furrowed as he gave the girl a scrutinizing stare. "So you go _towards_ it?!"

She gave an exasperated sigh as her eyes darted over to the boy. "It sounded like something was dying! So _yeah_, I went towards it."

"Like something was…" Stiles looked over to Scott who was looking very sheepish at that moment. The scrawnier boy sighed and looked back to Maddie. "…Yeah, we heard it too."

Scott glanced at the girl worriedly. "Did you hear anything after that?"

"Yeah," the petite slayer started, her mind racing. "It was like…this howl. Or roar...or something. But sort of not, you know?"

"…heard that too," Scott muttered quietly, giving his friend an indiscernible gaze.

"I, um…" Madeline paused briefly, choosing her words carefully. "I was already in the school by that time. I was actually looking for the way out. I got kind of freaked." She adjusted the strap on her shoulder. "That when I ran into you two."

Scott nodded and gave her an understanding look.

"Guys, I hate to break this up, but we should probably be – I don't know – _moving_," Stiles spoke up, his eyes set on the pliers stuck in the doors.

The boys began backing up from the double doors, as did Maddie. Scott glanced over at Stiles, eyes wide. "That won't hold, will it?"

Stiles looked over at his friend with the same fear in his eyes. "Probably not."

They three looked towards the dark, empty hallway. Madeline considered her odds of getting away from the two while avoiding suspicion but all of her thoughts were abruptly cut off. In the depths of the school, the three teenagers heard a howl. In a matter of seconds, Scott and Stiles took off while Maddie found she had no choice but to follow. She didn't like the chances the boys had of staying out of harm's way on their own.

They made their way into an empty classroom and Scott immediately went over to the teacher's desk, pushing it towards the door. Stiles got in his way quickly. "Stop, stop! The door's not gonna keep it out."

"What is _it_ anyway?!" Maddie asked quietly. Sure, she knew but the question was if they had any idea.

The boys glanced up at each other, mouths gaping, and then over to Madeline. "Ah…" Scott began, eyes darting from Stiles to the girl. "…a mountain lion?"

If there was ever a flimsy lie, that would be it. Stiles rolled his eyes at his best friend.

Maddie raised an eyebrow. "Really?! Do you get a lot of giant black mountain lions around here with red glowing eyes?!"

Stiles looked over at the girl almost solemnly. "…We don't know what it is."

"Well, it looked like a wolf," she retorted bluntly. "A big, crazy looking wolf."

If there was any chance that she had of seeming clueless, lying about what she saw was not the way to start. Anyone else might've done the same.

"Well, yeah, could be that," Stiles muttered under his breath.

Scott glanced up at his friend, his expression still holding quite a bit of concern. "So what do we do?"

"We get to my jeep, we get out of here." As Stiles passed Scott, he managed to mutter quietly so only his friend could hear him.

Madeline eyed the two strangely but followed them over to the windows all the same. There was something off about them that she couldn't quite place yet. It didn't matter at the moment though. What matters was that she made sure they got out of the building unscathed – which may be harder than she thought.

Scott began pushing at the window when Stiles caught his attention. "No, they don't open; the school's climate controlled."

"Then we break it," Scott replied, although his tone didn't seem to have much confidence behind it.

"And make a lot of noise," came Stiles' retort.

Scott looked out the window, scanning the area. "Then we run really fast." He eyed Stiles' jeep, his sense of urgency only heightening as he noted how far off it was. He turned to his friend with an uneasy expression. "_Really_ fast."

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me," Madeline groaned, walking away from the two.

Stiles gave the girl an extremely offended stare and nearly said something when Scott spoke up. "Stiles, what's wrong with the hood of your jeep?"

The other boy's attention was instantly torn away from the annoyingly rude girl and back to the window. "What do you mean? Nothing's wrong."

"It's bent!" Scott squinted to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks. There, in the distance was the blue jeep with its hood curved nearly into a 'u' shape and set on top of the exposed engine.

"Dented?" Stiles asked, panic rising in his voice as he got closer to the window to check over his friend's shoulder.

"No, I mean bent!"

Stiles flicked on the large flashlight and pointed it over to his car. "What the hell – "

Before he could finish what he was saying, something came crashing through the window above their heads. Scott and Stiles ducked close to the ground as glass showered down on them. Maddie, who was on the other side of the room, jumped at the noise and stumbled back into a desk.

As silence filled the room again, the slayer stood and walked over, discovering what the two boys were staring at, utterly horrified.

"…That's my battery," Stiles said, his voice distant and almost disbelieving. He tried to stand when Scott pulled him back down to the floor.

"Don't," he muttered.

Madeline stared at the battery a second longer before her stare went to the boys. "That's it." Her hands flew up defensively. "I'm out of here."

"No!" Scott replied in a hushed voice. "You don't know – "

"What I _know_," she began as she backed out of the room, "is that I've been going with the plans you two made up. And they've sucked so far." She walked out of the room and into the hall once more, looking around. I should be fighting this thing, not hiding from it.

"No! Maddie!" Scott called out, looking over at his best friend quickly.

Stiles looked back at him with an almost pleading look, reading Scott's expression. "Seriously?"

Scott shrugged and they both got up, rushing out into the halls. The young werewolf spotted the girl and jogged up to meet her. "What are you doing?"

"Leaving!" she called back as she spun around.

Stiles exchanged a shocked glance with Scott before stepping in front of Madeline. "You can't just _leave_! There's – "

"There's _what_?" She folded her arms and gave the two a scrutinizing stare.

The boys looked at each other again, unsure of how to answer. Stiles cleared his throat. "…There's a _thing_ out there and if you haven't noticed, it destroyed the only mode of transportation we have! I don't think leaving's really an option at this point!"

"Hiding in classrooms isn't working either!" she said harshly. It wasn't beginning to look like they weren't about to let her lose them which only annoyed her further.

Scott sighed, too many thoughts swirling around in his head to possibly think straight. "We…we just need to find some place safe to make a plan."

"You know what? Fine. Let me see your phone real quick." She gave Scott an expectant stare which was returned with confusion.

"Why?"

"Mine's dead," she answered quickly.

Scott frowned and scratched the back of his head. "Mine's kind of broken…"

Maddie and Scott turned their eyes to Stiles who blinked a few times and looked back and forth between the two. "Wait, what?"

The girl held out her hand in front of him. "Your phone, I need to use it."

Stiles didn't move for a second or two as Scott motioned for him to oblige. He finally and hesitantly dug through his pocket and pulled out his smartphone, handing to the girl with a sour look on his face. She took out her own and began typing on both quickly.

Scott and Stiles both gave her a shocked look before Stiles spoke up. "Woah, hey! You just said – "

"Yep, and I lied." She finished typing on the phones before turning Scott's around to face the boys.

_Madeline - EMERGENCY  
(415) 555-1234_

"I have your number and you have mine," she began as she put her phone away and handed Stiles' phone back to him.

Stiles took the phone and shoved it back in his pocket while Scott gave the girl an odd look before speaking. "But why?"

"Because we're splitting up," Maddie stated, giving them both a blank stare. In that instant, both teenage boys gawked at her as if she had just lopped off her own head.

"Can I just say how _terrible_ of a plan that is?" Stiles commented, eyes wide.

"He's right!" Scott added, panic rising in his voice again. "You can't just wander off by yourself! You don't know what's out there!"

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Do _you_?"

Scott paused for a second before answering. "Well…okay, no. But…"

"Exactly," she cut in, swerving around the two and walking off. "If you think of something or need help, call that number. I'll call you if I run into trouble. Don't call for any other reason."

"Yeah, because I was actually gonna call you just talk my day," Stiles responded with an eye roll. She didn't answer but instead kept walking. "Maddie!" Stiles shouted, exasperated.

There was something about that which made her stop for a moment. _Déjà vu?_ She shook it off and looked back at the two boys. "No. You two go. Figure something out. We can cover more ground this way." She gripped the strap of her messenger bag tightly and headed down the hall. "And don't follow me!"

Scott and Stiles exchanged a worried looked as the girl disappeared down a corridor.

* * *

**A/N: Alrighty! So thank you all for so many awesome reviews! Didn't think this story would be liked so much to be honest! Anyway, I've noticed a few questions.**

** winchesterxgirl: Maddie is currently living out of a motel room, but things like that are subject to change as the plot progresses. Her funds are coming directly from the new Watcher's Council, run by the original Scoobies. **

**So, next up, more fun times with the Alpha! Well, not fun for our heroes, but you know what I mean.**


	6. Chapter Five: Fight or Flight

**Chapter Five: Fight or Flight**

* * *

An Alpha.

An Alpha werewolf on her first day. Oh, but not just any alpha, an alpha that looked like it stepped directly out of a monster movie. Sure, Madeline was told that they could be of any shape or size but she hadn't particularly expected an wolf that looked like _that_. It'd been a few minutes since she left the boys and as soon as she felt she was far enough away, she had pulled out a compact crossbow. As she loaded a bolt, she began walking softly and swiftly down the empty corridor, accompanied by nothing but the silence. It was strange; she was sure by that point she could have been able to hear something. She'd headed the right way, didn't she? The slayer stopped in her tracks, pressing close to the lockers that lined the hallway as she listened.

Nothing. The corners of her lips tugged downward in a small frown.

She nearly moved to walk forward again when a noise finally caught her attention. Footsteps? No. It was a clicking – several tiny clicks over and over again. _Almost like…_ Her breath hitched in her throat as she felt her blood turn to ice in her veins. It sounded almost like paws on the linoleum tiles. As the clicks grew louder, something else joined it – heavy breathing. Maddie's index finger twitched slightly on the trigger of the crossbow.

The sounds were now loud enough for the creature to be right around the corner when the clicking on the tiles stopped altogether. It was sniffing; she heard it. It would find her if she didn't move, if she didn't do something. Steeling herself, she quickly turned the corner and pointed her weapon straight ahead.

Again, nothing.

The hall in front of her was vacant, like all the others. It had vanished – or perhaps it hadn't been there at all. _No. No, I heard it!_ She spun around, her weapon at the ready but still she found nothing. It hadn't passed by; she would've seen it. The only logical answer left her frozen where she stood in fear. It knew she had been there. Doing her best to ward off the uneasy feeling in her stomach, she lowered her weapon back to her side and continued on in silence.

Maddie had only started walking again when she heard something that made her go slightly paler than seeing the wolf; she heard a voice.

"Scott?!"

It wasn't just any voice either; it was a voice she'd been hearing for a decent chunk of the day. She took a deep breath and put away her crossbow, running in the direction of the voice as quickly as she could. She bounded around another corner and withheld a groan as she was met with the sight of the somewhat familiar brunette. "Allison?!"

Allison turned in Maddie's direction with an equally shocked expression on her face. "Maddie! What are you doing here? Were you the one who left the door open?" Panic rose in her voice as she spoke and tightly clutched her phone in her hand. "Have you seen Scott?"

"Hold on! One question at a time," Maddie said, using a harsher voice than she had speaking to the girl earlier. This was made clear when Allison looked slightly taken aback but the slayer had already had enough of that day and held nothing back. "I was in the area and heard a noise. No, I didn't leave the door open. And yeah, he's here too – but you shouldn't be."

"What? What do you mean?" Allison asked, her eyes wide with confusion. "What's going on? Is this about the text? I don't – "

"Allison!" Maddie shouted, sending the girl a hardened gaze. "It's not safe here! You need to get out! Now!"

The youngest Argent opened her mouth to speak, shock etched in her features. "…I just…please, Maddie…I need to know what's happening. Where is Scott?"

That look on the girl's face – she knew that look. It was the same look on every face of every person she had watched her mentor save. It was the look she'd had on her face the day she saw her first monster – the look of a frightened child. Maddie's dark eyes softened slightly and she glanced down at the floor. "I don't know." The words spilled from her mouth before she knew she was saying them. Her stare found Allison's again. There was no way this girl would leave without her boyfriend and there was no way Madeline would let her wander off on her own. She swallowed despite the lump in her throat. "Sorry I snapped. I'm just…freaked out. Um, we should just…find Scott and get out of here, okay?"

Allison's stare was still unsure and even a bit afraid but she gave a shaky nod all the same.

* * *

The night continued to drag on as they walked around the school quietly aside from the random shouts for Scott. Madeline was aware that she probably ruined her good first impression with the Allison in one fell swoop. How in the hell did anyone expect slayers to attend school? It was no wonder Miss Summers never brought up her own high school experience – although Maddie would be sure to try and ask again after this mess. If nothing else, it'd probably make her feel better. She walked slightly ahead of taller girl, her insides contorting uncomfortably at the prospect of anything popping out at them. As long as she was there though, she was ready to take the brunt of any attack.

As they entered another room, they both clearly noted the pools on either side of them as they walked. Madeline especially noted them as she nearly fell into one as Allison's phone began going off. The petite slayer gathered herself again and stopped as the other girl answered the device. "Hey…we can't seem to find them."

Maddie glanced around the room, keeping her guard up.

"Oh, um…I ran into Maddie," Allison continued, giving the shorter girl an unsure look. "The girl from earlier? She sat with us at lunch."

The slayer noted the sigh after that. It must've been her friend that looked almost offended when she sat with them – the girl that she couldn't remember the name of_. I gotta get better with these names._

"Okay, give me a second, I'll be right there." She hung up and sighed, stuffing her phone back in her pocket.

"Everything good?" Maddie asked, although her tone didn't hold all that much sincerity.

Allison nodded slightly. "Yeah, but, um…I need to meet back up with Lydia and Jackson. I don't think Scott's here anymore."

_He's got to be here. Unless he's that stupid_. Regardless, Madeline was aware that it was generally a better idea to get Allison out of harm's way. "Yeah, okay. Lead the way."

"Actually – " Allison began but was cut off by her phone again. Her eyebrows furrowed as she pulled it out of her pocket and glanced at the screen. She tapped the screen and raised it to her ear. "Stiles?"

_Damn it. _She absentmindedly adjusted the strap of her messenger bag.

"I'm in the school looking for you, why weren't you at my place?" the girl beside her said, an edge in her voice and understandably so. Of course, Maddie had thought she made it fairly clear that this was not the time or the place.

_Clearly not._

"On the first floor. I found – "

Maddie gave Allison a look, noticing the unease on the girl's face. Her alertness seemed to go up quite a bit which allowed panic to seep back into the slayer's head.

"The swimming pools," was the young Argent's short response. Another second or two passed before she spoke again. "Okay, okay, we're coming."

She hung up the phone, eyes holding a sense of urgency. "The lobby."

Without another word, Allison began running out of the room, leaving Madeline to grumble under her breath and catch up.

* * *

Maddie had forgotten how tough it was to match her pace to someone who wasn't as fast as her, but the last thing she needed was for someone to see her do anything out of the ordinary – least of all, Allison. It took them longer than it could've but in a matter of minutes, they were slamming through the doors to the lobby, finding Scott and Stiles across from them. Scott rushed over to Allison immediately. "Why did you come? What are you doing here?"

"Because you asked me to," Allison said, giving him a confused look.

Scott's eyebrows knitted together, his expression very nearly matching his girlfriend's. "I asked you to?"

Allison pulled out her cellphone and tapped on it to bring it back to life, turning it to face Scott. "Why do I get the feeling you didn't send me this message?" came Allison's shaky reply.

Scott, on the other hand, wore a worried look. "Because I didn't."

"Did you drive here?" Stiles spoke up, calling everyone's attention.

"Jackson did," Allison said.

The panic on Scott's face seemed to increase. "Jackson's here too?!"

"And Lydia! What's going on?!" Allison seemed to be talking to the whole room at that point as she looked at the three who seemed to know much more than they were letting on. In that instant, her phone rung and she immediately answered. "Where are you?"

In what seemed like less than a second later, the other girl from earlier that day and a boy Maddie didn't seem to recognize burst into the room.

_Oh, god damn it._ Maddie counted each person in the room and suddenly had the urge to yell at all of them. How in the world was anyone supposed to have a secret identity around here? She held her tongue though, not wanting another outburst like she had with Allison.

"Finally," Lydia breathed. She looked up at Allison. "Can we go now?"

Allison nodded but no one had even a moment to move before the ceiling began groaning as if something very heavy was walking just above all of their heads. Everyone looked up at once and paused for a second or so. Scott then muttered, "Run."

The five of them ran, all but Maddie who made motion to run but instead turned around and took a few steps back as the ceiling collapsed in front of her. The wolf stood, towering over her and she took a breath, balling her fists as she took a defensive stance.

As the five started running, Stiles took a glance back at the beast to find the strangest thing. He looked horrified as he ran, watching such a tiny girl stand as if she were about to actually _fight_ the alpha werewolf. Before he could see anything else, the group turned a corner.

The inhuman noise the Alpha made at the sight of the girl sounded almost like a laugh.

"You think this is so funny, do something," Maddie said quietly through her clenched jaw, eyes dark as she glared at the creature. She dropped her bag, knowing she'd lose her chance if she stopped to dig out a weapon. "Because that's the _only_ way you'll get to them."

It growled before letting out a deafening roar and swinging his arm towards her. Even through her nerves, she managed to grab the Alpha's arm that had painfully hit her side. She locked the massive clawed hand between her own arm and her side, not allowing him to move her from her position. Digging its claws further into her side, it looked down at its arm and back up to Maddie's face which now wore the most sadistic of grins. With every ounce of strength in her body, she heaved her entire body weight shoulder first into the caught off guard werewolf and tackled it through the lobby doors that exploded into splinters of wood.

As she laid there for that short moment, she took notice of how terribly the open wound on her side stung and her shoulder felt like several tiny pins had been shoved into the bone. Madeline kipped up rather unsteadily, catching her breath and stumbling backwards as she grabbed her shoulder and rolling it painfully. Her side still hurt as she choked out a breath. Looking up, she noticed the only slightly dazed wolf beginning to stand again. Horrified and clearly hurt, she backed up as she grabbed her bag from the floor and finally ran.

_Follow their voices. There's five of them. One's bound to say something!_

Her breathing was ragged as she quickened her pace and turned a corner, finding the group of teenagers headed straight for the double doors of the cafeteria. Willing herself to move just a bit faster, she found herself a few paces behind them as they went through the doors. Almost immediately, Allison, Scott, Lydia, and who Maddie presumed was Jackson began rushing to barricade the doors with anything in sight. The slayer took a moment to catch her breath, doubling over and placing a hand on her knee. In that moment though, she felts someone's eyes on her. She looked up to find Stiles several feet away, looking like he'd just seen a ghost. She glared at him. "What?!"

Whatever the boy had been thinking, he seemed to snap out of it.

There seemed to be quite of bit of commotion in the room as four of the six people there were still building a wall of chairs and tables. _Do they really think that'll keep it out? _Maddie thought miserably, seething over the fact the most she did barely hurt the monster.

Voices sounded off in the room in a mixture of fear, anger, and annoyance. The last one was of course because Stiles seemed to be trying to tell the room something. Everyone, including Madeline seemed to tune him out until he yelled, "HELLO!"

Everyone stopped what they were doing and even Maddie managed to stand up straight.

"Okay, nice work. Really beautiful job, everyone," he started, his tone already exasperated. "Now what should we do about the twenty foot wall of windows?"

He gestured to the windows dramatically and everyone by the doors seemed to stop and look at each other.

"Can somebody please explain to me what's going on because I'm freaking out here and I would like to know why!" Allison began abruptly, still catching her breath as she turned to her boyfriend. "Scott?"

Suddenly, everything Maddie had told HQ in her voicemail seemed to be null and void. This girl had no idea. There was a fear in her voice that absolutely no one could fake. _In fact, the people who seem to be panicking the least are…_ She slowly turned to Scott and Stiles. Scott had walked away from his girlfriend without saying a word.

Stiles looked toward the group. "Somebody killed the janitor."

The remaining color in Maddie's face drained in that instant. Lydia seemed to be the first to speak up. "What?"

He walked over to the group. "Yeah, the janitor's dead."

A nervous, disbelieving laugh passed Allison's lips as she turned to Scott. "What's he talking about? Is this a joke?"

Madeline, listening closely as the group continued to speak, back into the far reaches of the cafeteria. Discretely, she set her bag on the floor and lifted up the side of her torn shirt to check her side. To no surprise, she found five deep claw marks already starting to clot. She sighed and tugged her shirt back down.

"It was Derek!" That's what she heard Scott say. _Derek? Who in the hell was Derek?_ Whoever it was, everyone else in the room seemed to recognize the name.

The last thing she remembered hearing was the distinct sound of someone being punched before she decided this was the best time to fix her shoulder issue. She struggled to roll her shoulder again as pain jolted to the spot_. Great. Dislocated._ She grabbed her shoulder tightly with her opposite hand and shrugged into it with all the force she could muster. The girl let out a short and quiet cry as the bone popped back into place. It was enough to turn everyone's attention to her for a moment.

"Maddie?" one of them asked. Scott.

Madeline turned to them and hugged her coat closer to her to cover the shredded side of her shirt and the bloody wound under it. "Hm?"

Three of them gave her a strange look – but Scott and Stiles seemed to have different reactions. Scott looked confused, as if he'd just found something that didn't make any sense whereas Stiles looked mildly suspicious of her as he stood there on the phone, speaking quietly.

"You okay?" Scott asked.

She nodded slightly. "Uh, yeah. I think I just hit my shoulder in the doorway when we came in."

Before anyone else could say anything, the door moved. Something was furiously pounding against it, causing everyone to begin back away from it.

"We're at the school. Dad, we're at the school," Stiles repeated before hanging up his phone. The pressure on the door continued to get worse as more screws came loose and chair began to fall. "The kitchen. The door out of the kitchen next to the stairwell."

"Which only goes up!" Scott yelled as he held Allison close.

Stiles shrugged. "Up is better than here."

* * *

**A/N: So, I've had this done for a few days now and I've been working all this week without a day off. You'll probably see the next chapter on Sunday because of that reason. Scott and Stiles are getting pretty suspicious. That could be a world of not good for Maddie if she's not more careful.**


	7. Chapter Six: Honest

**Chapter Six: Honest**

* * *

_These people are idiots._

This, of course, was something Madeline was now sure of. Sure, maybe not book-wise, as she was now at the front of the Chemistry classroom watching the pretty, popular girl make – what did she say? A self-igniting Molotov Cocktail? That in itself was a fairly incredible feat. Scott had decided to go get the janitor's keys so they could make a hasty escape. No, no, this group almost was working like a well-oiled machine – granted it was a well-oiled machine that clearly lacked common sense and happened to be in a constant state of denial. She vaguely wondered the damage these teens could do if they actually knew all the horrible realities of the town they lived in. That, in itself, was a frightening thought. She shook her head and leaned against the chalkboard.

Several feet away, in the far reaches of Scott's mind, a new form stress loomed over him.

"_Blood? Like…__**fresh**__ blood?"_

"_Yeah! I smelled it back in the cafeteria."_

"_And you're __**sure**__ it was blood?"_

"_Yes, Stiles! I know what blood smells like and that was it!" He sighed. "…And it was coming from her."_

"_You think** that's** weird? I see that and raise you her staying behind, looking like she about to fight the freaking Alpha – and not being __**dead**__!"_

As soon as he and Stiles had been out of earshot, that's basically all they had time to say to each other on the topic. It was worrisome to say the least, on top of the massive issues they were currently dealing with. _Maybe it just hurt her and moved on_… he thought, trying to ease his stress as he waited for Lydia to finish up. _No_. No, that wouldn't make any sense either. She kept up with them. Sure, she was the last to enter the room but if she did face down the Alpha and not only lived to tell the tale but also somehow caught up to them, she'd be some kind of super human. Scott eyed the girl briefly. _Or not human at all._

He subtly sniffed the air*. She didn't smell like a wolf at least. Although there was a bit of distance between them and he was still pretty new to this. He could be wrong. He pushed the thought to the back of his mind once more and moved on to the matter at hand. They had to survive first; he and Stiles could figure the rest out later.

Lydia gently mixed the components and plugged the beaker with a cork, handing it off to Scott. Madeline stared at the mixture, uncertainty written all over her face. "You shouldn't go out there," she said, her voice stern and having a certain level of authority behind it.

"She's right, this is insane," Allison spoke up, pain plaguing her gaze as she looked at her boyfriend. "You can't do this. You cannot go out there."

"We can't just wait here for Stiles to have to check his messages," Scott argued, mirroring her stare.

Allison looked utterly horrified as she listened to his resolve. "You could _die_. Don't you get that? He's killed three people."

"And we're next. Somebody has to do something." Scott backed away from the desk and towards the door.

It was almost painful watching the two. Madeline had forgotten this part; then again, she hadn't seen it for nearly a decade so it was marginally understandable. Death was a constant in her life and each time a team member left – each time a _slayer_ left – they did so as if it was no big deal. _Just another night on the job._ Now and then, some didn't come back, but it was expected. They grew up knowing the deal and pretending to accept it. They were chosen, they fight, they die and that's all there was to it. Now, seeing this average boy possibly – more than likely – kiss his girlfriend for the last time and prepare to face impossible odds was hard to wrap her mind around. As Scott went to the door again, leaving Allison behind, the slayer decided to speak once again. "If you're going out there, you should at least not go by yourself."

"And who's gonna go with him?" Jackson let out a short, mocking laugh. "You?"

"Well, it obviously won't be you," Maddie said with a shrug, not so much trying to attack him but feeling the need to point out the obvious. "You've looked more scared than anyone else here."

"Maddie!" Allison chastised, her voice cracking and tears still staining her cheeks as she did so.

The slayer blinked and her brows furrowed. "What?"

"Just…stay here," Scott mumbled before putting a bit more emphasis in his tone, looking at Madeline. "All of you." He turned away from everyone in the room, opened the door, and in mere seconds, he was gone.

* * *

Minutes ticked away at a ridiculously slow pace – that's at least how it felt. The petite slayer paced back and forth, a mixture of unpleasant emotions coursing through her. Anger was the most prominent – mostly at Scott for being such an idiot. There was some annoyance at the remaining group because their talking wouldn't give her a moment's peace. Then there was one tricky emotion she hadn't experienced in quite some time – helplessness. She'd already tried to leave twice but was stopped by Stiles both times. Each time, the look he gave her seemed more narrowed and suspicious. The feeling was mutual though; she didn't trust either Scott or Stiles considering the amount of lies she heard them giving the other three teenagers. She knew they saw the same thing out of that window earlier that night – but then why lie and say it was a person? They had to at least know it looked like an animal. She vaguely wondered if they had been expecting her to catch them in their lie and tell the group she'd seen a wolf.

Alas, she hadn't. The less people who knew, the better.

Of course, that in itself called something else into question – exactly how much did Scott and Stiles know?

Suddenly, the room reverberated with an ear-piercing howl so loud that she covered her ears. What was even more terrifying was when Jackson collapsed to the floor, writhing and screaming in pain. Maddie rejoined the group, wondering what was happening. As the rest of them helped the boy up, they heard him mutter, "No, I'm fine."

As he stood and jerked away from them, he quickly and much more firmly answered, "Like seriously, I'm okay."

"That didn't sound okay at all," Allison added worriedly.

Then Stiles reached over to Jackson, looking at something with piqued interest. "What's on the back of your neck?"

He swatted Stiles' hand away, glaring at him. "I said I'm fine."

"It's been there for days. He won't tell me what happened," Lydia said to the rest of them, throwing Jackson an accusatory stare.

Jackson's bright blue eyes blazed in anger as he glared at his girlfriend. "As if you actually _care_."

It seemed to be Maddie's turn to narrow her eyes on someone – Jackson to be specific. It seemed she was not the only one in severe pain much to her own suspicion. The slayer achingly rolled her shoulder again and ignored the various sharp pains in her side as she began circling the group before stopping behind the jock. _No one is that stupid._ The girl let out an exasperated sigh as she quickly and without reservation poked one of the purplish-red marks. At least, it was only a poke to her whereas Jackson felt as if the girl had stabbed the back of his neck. He let out a yelp of sheer agony and nearly fell to his knees. He backed away from Maddie and glared at her, his face red enough to see even in the dark. Madeline raised an eyebrow at him expectantly. "People who are fine typically don't do that." Her voice was so plain and ingenuous as she said it that people might've mistaken it as a witty retort.

The reactions from the other three students slightly surprised her. There was Allison who looked completely appalled; Stiles looked begrudgingly impressed – or maybe just happy to see Jackson in pain; and last was Lydia who gave a pleased smile to Maddie and a condescending shrug to Jackson.

Stiles, in a flimsy attempt to ease the tension, stepped in between the infuriated Jackson and a considerably impatient Maddie. "Alright, can we not argue for half a second here?"

"Where's Scott?" Allison muttered more to herself than the rest of the teenagers. Her voice had become more fragile and even a bit shaky this time around. "He should be back by now." It felt like not even half a heartbeat had thumped in Maddie's chest when they all heard a small crack on the other side of the door. Allison was the first to head towards it. "Scott?"

Maddie's near-black stare followed the girl when she saw the oddest thing – someone was on the other side of the door. A person clearly, certainly not an Alpha werewolf – that wasn't the odd part though. The odd part was that they simply stood there on the other side of the door for several long seconds. As Allison shouted louder and louder for Scott, Madeline noticed she'd started twisted the door handle and pulling at the door with all of her strength. Someone – maybe Scott, _probably_ Scott – had locked them in for some unknown reason. It was almost as painful to watch as the two parting. Maddie thought for a moment, contemplating kicking open the door – something she could do easily but would call more things about her to question.

Still, she almost gave in when –

"Stop…Stop!" Lydia spoke over her friend's cries. Her hearing seemed to be focused on something else entirely. "Do you hear that? Listen."

The room grew quiet as a distinct sound was heard by all of them in the distance. Relief flooded Maddie almost immediately. "Sirens," she mumbled to herself quietly.

The expressions of relief spread to the rest of them quickly as they all had the same idea and ran over to the windows. Flashing red and blue lights stretched throughout the entirety of the parking lot.

* * *

Madeline couldn't wrap her brain around any of this.

She fought – or at least attempted to fight – an Alpha werewolf her first night in Beacon Hills.

She ruined Allison's first impression of her in less than an hour.

They all made it out of the school alive and in one piece.

And she _still_ had homework to do.

_Least of my worries, I suppose,_ she thought miserably as she made the long walk over to Allison who now had a mixture of tears and runny mascara sliding down her cheeks in rapid succession. She'd just walked away from Scott, who looked utterly confused and distraught – almost as if the air had just been knocked out of him. Maddie slowed her pace as Allison turned to her with a look the slayer didn't recognize in the slightest. She sniffled and tried to regain her composure. "Hi."

Maddie nodded in return. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out; the apology she'd resolved to give the girl had gotten lodged in her throat. She wasn't really sorry, to honest – or maybe she was but she couldn't quite see why. Apologizing without knowing why seemed hollow. To be honest with herself though, what else could anyone who had told so many lies already be but hollow?

"Sorry," they both choked out at once.

Allison, through her tears, gave a small and embarrassed laugh. A tiny smile tugged at the corners of Maddie's mouth.

"No, really," the taller brunette began, shuffling a bit in her spot. She looked down for a moment at her scuffed shoes before glancing back up at the shorter girl. "God, I am so, so sorry. I get that you were trying to help."

"I yelled at you," Maddie blurted out, although she had been aiming for something much more sincere.

Allison sighed and nodded. "I know. You yelled at me to leave and you were right. I should've." Her eyes went back to a slumped over Scott in the distance. "…I was stupid for staying."

"Kind of," the slayer said with a shrug. Off of Allison's surprised glance, Maddie's eyes widened. "Wow, um - that…didn't come out right."

After a long moment, another small laugh came from the young Argent. "No, no. You said what you meant." Allison curiously stared at the girl, analyzing her for a second. "You do that a lot, don't you?"

_You said what you meant._ That was one of the last things her Watcher had told her – and it certainly hadn't been the first time. It seemed to be a very telling statement about the girl. A heavy sigh escaped her and she looked down at the dead leaves on the ground. "Yeah."

"It's not bad," Allison replied quickly, attempting her very best reassuring smile as a shocked Madeline looked up. "It's…_honest_." The fairer girl's eyes flicked over to the boy it still hurt to look at and Maddie could almost see the light leaving her eyes. "I could use a little bit of honest right about now."

It felt as if a knife had been twisted in Maddie's stomach – a feeling she actually knew and did not take lightly. Although, this knife was made completely of guilt which may have been worse altogether. She forced a smile, feeling particularly _dishonest_. "Sure, yeah. I can do that."

They'd been so engrossed in their conversation, neither seemed to notice the figure looming over Maddie until Allison made a point to look up. "Dad!" She rushed past Madeline and flung her arms around her father who hugged her tightly back. They quietly exchanged some words, mostly in relief – although some from the older man seemed more scolding.

"You're sure…?"

"Yeah, Dad." Her words were soft and with much more relief laced in them. "…didn't let me wander off on my own. Told me to leave. I'm so sorry. I should've listened! I…I was so scared!" Her voice cracked again. Her father hugged her tightly again. Maddie finally turned to see the two embracing. The older Argent opened his eyes and looked at the slayer. An odd lump of nerves set in; would she be fired? Be sent back to HQ for more training? She rung her stretched out sleeve in her hands.

That's when it happened, in that tiny, silent moment.

Chris Argent's eyes weren't as emotionless and suspicious as before. There was a small twinge of something in them and Maddie recognized it almost instinctively. She'd seen it so many time on so many faces but they were never looking at her. They were looking at her leader, her general. It was the look so many innocents gave to Buffy.

It was…_gratitude_.

He gave a slight nod then, which Madeline returned through her own shock. The hunter loosened his grip on his daughter as he looked down at her. "Seems like your new friend has a good head on her shoulders. Maybe you should listen to her next time."

Allison nodded quietly and turned to Maddie with her own grateful, half-hearted smile.

"In fact, to show how grateful we are," Chris began with his own false smile, "How about we invite her over for dinner?"

Both girls gave him a strange, disbelieving look. Allison looked back at Maddie with a wide-eyed stare, then back to her father. "I…I mean, I guess so." She glanced over at the slayer once more. "If that's okay with you."

"Huh?" Madeline seemed more shocked in that moment than the entire time she'd spent in the school that night. "Oh, er, yeah! Sure."

"Good," Chris said, although his tone didn't reflect it. "Saturday night, then."

"Yeah," Maddie replied distantly as something caught her eye. In the distance, she noticed a stern-looking Sheriff looking over at her and waving her over. "Saturday. Right. Sorry, will you excuse me?" With that she made a hasty exit from the Argents and strode towards the man. "Hi, um, did you need me for something?"

"Madeline Hayes?" the Sheriff asked. She nodded. "Your mother has been called. We filled her in on the current situation." He exhaled an exhausted breath. "Since she's out of town, she asked for you to be escorted home…" _…my mother?_ She thought in shock, wondering who had answered. "…but it looks like the address given was the Motel 6 off of 3rd and Welsh."

"Yeah!" she said instantly. "We moved here a little early and the house isn't done. My parents are finishing up getting our stuff from the old house. Today was my first day here, actually."

The lies rolled off of her tongue much easier each time she had to give them. Each time, her nerves got to her less and less. The Sheriff took a moment to analyze her before nodding. "That's just about what they said too. Alright, I'll take you over there. I gotta drop off my miscreant anyway."

He nodded over to Stiles in which Maddie raised an eyebrow at the boy. Stiles seemed to hear all of this and gave his father an almost painful look.

What seemed like an eternity later, Maddie got into the passenger side seat of the police car. The reasoning behind this seemed to be "the frightened teenage girl is allowed to call shotgun as she doesn't have a history of trouble following her". Stiles groaned and got in the back of the wagon, knowing full well that the girl in front of him seemed to be the least frightened of all of them that night.

All the while, Sheriff Stilinski – as she learned his last name was – attempted to calm Maddie's nonexistent nerves. If anything, she was more confident than ever. Sure, her shoulder and side hurt like hell but she made it through the night. Allison didn't hate her and not only did she take the Alpha off its feet, she _lived_. The slayer withheld the smile that threatened to spread across her face.

"Did you need something to eat before we drop you off?"

"No…no, I'm fine. Really." That good feeling, unfortunately, came crashing down around her as she reached for her bag. Her bag. _Oh no. My bag._ The color drained from her face. She'd set down her bag in the cafeteria. "My bag!" Her head snapped over to the Sheriff, her eyes wide with horror. "I left my bag in the school!"

Sheriff Stilinski seemed placid as ever, not taking his eyes off the road. Although, Stiles hearing seemed to perk up. "We'll be searching the building tonight, top to bottom. I'll make sure we get your bag to you."

"No, but –" she started, her thoughts rushing around her in blurs. "I – I need it tonight! We have to go back! My…my wallet! And my homework! And…"

"Calm down, it's okay." The Sheriff glanced at her worriedly for less than a second as he stopped at a red light. "You're stuff will be fine. I promise."

"But…but…!" Alas, she couldn't form any good excuse. Her heart was beating rapidly at the prospect of the Sheriff's department searching her bag. Gods, she was beginning to hyperventilate. "…but…"

"Yeah, Mads!" Stiles chimed in, using a nickname reserved for only Maddie's closest confidantes. She turned her head slowly and threw at him the most menacing glare she could. Stiles seemed unusually used to this type of reaction and continued with a smug grin. "They'll get that to you, ASAP! It's not like you have something to be worried about, right?"

The look in the boy's eyes told Madeline that he knew something – or was at least suspecting something. Her darkened stare drilled into his as she took an even breath in and out. "…Right."

* * *

**A/N: FINALLY! The end of "Night School"! Sorry, that whole thing took forever. Also, sorry this took so long. I had Maid of Honor wedding stuff to do all week. That's over though and now I'm back and ready to introduce Maddie to the rest of the Argents! Then...what will happen in "Lunatic"? This is going to be horrible. XD**

*** = I think we're all aware that the only person who thinks Scott can subtly sniff for anything at this point in the show is _Scott_. **


	8. Chapter Seven: Den of Wolves

**Chapter Seven: Den of Wolves**

* * *

**A/N: Heyo! Sorry it's been a bit but this chapter was so hard to get through. Luckily I'm already a good portion into chapter eight, so fear not! Action will return! Now, hey, look! A flashback!**

* * *

_There were plenty of things thirteen year old Madeline Hayes hated about being a slayer. For one, there was headquarters, which was pretty much like Hogwarts in way – if Hogwarts replaced magic wands with stakes, boys with even more girls, and fun with strength, reflex, and strategy training. At least they spent a few years in a castle in Scotland; that was really where the similarities ended. _

"_You know, there's this saying…"_

_The second thing was the extremely inaccurate thought that there were ranks among the slayers – something that had been perpetuated by Kennedy, one of the older girls. There were no actual ranks. There were slayers and watchers. Sure, the slayers outnumbered the watchers by quite a bit. Hundreds for each one watcher in the early days. There was no way to keep up so some of the more experienced slayers began training. That didn't make them better than the others, though._

"…_by, I don't know, some old smart guy."_

_Third were the girls. There were too many of them. They giggled, they gossiped, they even pulled hair sometimes. And, as most would imagine, there were no such thing as cat fights among slayers. Slayers had a tendency to do real harm when they didn't like each other. Black eyes, broken ribs, shattered jaws, bruises by the dozens – these were regular occurrences and none of which Maddie had escaped with the mouth she had on her._

"_Know when to walk away and know when to run…"_

"_Buff, that's Kenny Rogers."_

"_The chicken guy?"_

"_No, that's Roy Rogers. Kenny Rogers was a country singer. You quoted a country song. About poker."_

_Last was the woman herself, Buffy Summers. Buffy was one part former homecoming queen and two parts war general. Maddie couldn't pinpoint which part she liked less. Perhaps she couldn't remember the woman who cheered her up when she cried in her bunk, knowing she'd never see her mother or father again. Perhaps that woman was gone. As they took in more slayers for training, Buffy grew more and more distant from all of them. Now, all she ever did was talk to Xander, Willow, or Dawn. If she did address a younger slayer, it was in training and in usually wasn't very nice. Maddie used to make excuses for her to the other slayers but she'd run out a long time ago. Now, she wore her abrasive personality like armor whenever the woman showed her face – which wasn't very often._

_Today, she was around. Today would not be pleasant. Maddie frowned at the blonde while folding her half-raised hands together in front of her and rolling her wrists. The woman was the only person she knew that she could meet at eye level, as everyone else was significantly taller, not that it mattered. Buffy hardly ever really looked her in the eye these days anyway._

"_Oh. Well, either way, it's good advice. That will be your lesson today – the difference between walking away to regroup or running because you've given up." Buffy threw a stake to the preteen girl as a few other girls watched in silence. The older slayer looked at Maddie, but not really. Buffy's worn, green eyes looked right through the young girl, as they always did with all of the girls. "We take breathers and we regroup. There's nothing wrong with that. But we do not run. We do not give up."_

_Buffy led Xander and the rest of the girls out of the room, leaving Maddie alone as a growl sounded behind her._

* * *

Maddie woke up Saturday morning tense and sore. It wasn't because of the earlier that week and her wounds. No, they had healed up nicely; there were hardly any marks left. No, she woke up sore because she had trained for the first time in days. As there was neither hide nor hair of a vampire yet, she used her patrolling time to train in the woods. She was used to training so much more often than that and it was beginning to bother her. Clearly even going a little while without it and pushing herself too hard to make up for it was not the best course of action. She liked it though; it was the one time she didn't have to think about her mission, her missing bag, or her sinking feeling over the suspicious residents of Beacon Hills. She frowned, thinking of her missing bag again. She'd sprinted back to the school the moment she'd been dropped off. It was gone – _really_ gone. She grimaced and shook the thought from her head.

Unfortunately, now was not the time to think of missing bags and training as she found herself walking down a friendly-looking neighborhood full of big, bright houses lining both sides of the street. It took more effort than she intended of course, as by Friday morning she found herself without a street address for Allison's house or a way to contact her. This would've been the perfect time for school not to be cancelled. This led to one and only one solution.

_Allison's number, what is it?_ **[Fri 5:02 PM]**

_**Stiles:**__ first off, hi is a good way to start a conversation. second, no. _**[Fri 5:06 PM]**

_No? What do you mean no? I need the number__**.**_** [Fri 5:07 PM]**

_**Stiles:**__ sorry but I don't give out my friend's info or my friend's ex gf's info to people I don't trust. so no. also I'm not actually sorry._** [Fri 5:16 PM]**

_I don't have time for this._ **[Fri 5:17 PM]**

_Stiles?_ **[Fri 5:42 PM]**

_Are you kidding me?_ **[Fri 6:34 PM]**

_You're the only person I know who can help me._ **[Fri 6:35 PM]**

_I know like…5 people here__**.**_** [Fri 6:35 PM]**

_I'm really new here. I wouldn't do this if I didn't absolutely NEED to._ **[Fri 6:36 PM]**

_This is the only number I have!_ **[Fri 6:36 PM]**

_I won't stop texting you._ **[Fri 6:37 PM]**

_At all. I'll keep going._** [Fri 6:38 PM]**

_I'm serious. I need you're help, damn it!_ **[Fri 6:39 PM]**

_Do you have unlimited texting?_ **[Fri 6:39 PM]**

_Because I just found out I do._** [Fri 6:39 PM]**

She was less than pleased that she'd sunken to such a desperate level but let it go almost immediately, as a text popped up simply giving a phone number. Nothing else, not another grating, sarcastic word – which was good, because her other option involved using her fists and she was sure that'd call unwanted attention. After a few minutes of staring at the number, she'd attempted to use it. To her relief, Allison had answered and after an awkward explanation of how she acquired the number and why, Maddie was given a street address.

Before she knew it, there she stood at the door of a moderately large home, finger twitching as it hovered over the doorbell. This was more than dinner, much more. It was a full evening of scrutinizing eyes and weighted questions. It was an interrogation and an interview all at once. She breathed slowly, evenly. Her finger twitched a little again and closed the gap to the doorbell. It's muffled chime rang in her ears and she waited.

Her nerves were shot. Her stomach was churning painfully.

The door swung open, but it wasn't Allison or her father who stood there before her. It was a woman; her dirty blonde hair hung in waves over her shoulders as her green eyes drilled holes through Maddie. She stood there, unmoving with her arm still blocking the entrance in an outfit that screamed Faith. The woman smiled but it wasn't a forced smile like Allison's father or a kind one like Allison's. It was wide and toothy, less like a smile and more like an animal baring its teeth. Maddie opened her mouth to speak, although it took several moments to find her voice. "…Hi, I'm – "

"Oh, I know who you are, sweetie." The older woman kept the same expression on her face, her tone coated in hostility. She looked back into the house. "Allison! Your friend's here!"

Finally, the unknown woman backed away from the door and gestured for Madeline to come in.

* * *

It was terrifying. There Maddie sat, in between Allison and Kate – the woman from earlier who had not gotten any friendlier in the twenty minutes they been sitting there. It was a shame though; if nothing else, Madeline had been looking forward to the home cooked meal. They were few and far between back at headquarters and even fewer here as she had taken to gaining any sustenance from fast food restaurants. Knowing that, she looked down at her food again and willed herself not to frown as she pushed around the mashed potatoes. The general feeling she got from the tall, red haired woman who made the food and had been staring holes through her was distrust. The feeling was indeed mutual. Maddie couldn't yet tell if the food was laced with poison or they were trying to fatten her up – either way she had the distinct notion that these people – save for Allison – were out to kill her. She'd felt more safe trapped in the school with the Alpha, to be quite honest.

Chris had started the conversation early on with less than subtle and slightly menacing hints, following this with intrusive questioning.

"What do your parents do?" he'd asked. She rambled on through about her mother being a self-defense trainer and her dad being a construction worker; she would certainly have to inform Xander of this.

Kate had thus far been full of nothing but false smiles and much more subtle snark. There was something very off about her and Maddie still felt unsafe simply sitting next to her. She even made sure to not let go of her fork for any reason, just as a precaution.

"Do you always walk around schools at night? Weird habit, don'tcha think?" Kate had asked, taking a sip of her drink that the slayer assumed had alcohol in it. Maddie pushed forward with her explanation, telling them all that she'd been in the area after taking a walk when she heard something 'weird' - glass breaking, to be specific.

Allison seemed to believe this. "I, um, heard that Stiles' battery got thrown through a window."

Maddie had nodded in silent confirmation, not wanting to divulge any more than she had to.

Chris and Victoria – the woman with the short red hair, the scowl, and the piercing blue eyes that seemed to see right through Madeline – exchanged a look. Victoria hadn't said a word to Maddie directly; she'd only studied her. This made the slayer even more uneasy than the questioning.

It was as if she was actually in a wolf's den and the irony of that was not lost on her one bit.

Victoria was looking at her again. Maddie frowned, shrinking down a little as she took a bite of her roast beef. Although it did not kill her, it was now cold. She managed a smile as she looked up at Allison's mother. "This is really good."

It couldn't have sounded more forced if she tried. The woman gave a tight-lipped smile. Minutes dragged on and on as Maddie ate much quicker. She was more than ready to get out of there; this had to be the most uncomfortable meal she ever had.

Allison did her best to fill in the silence and Madeline tried to do the same. After all, they were supposed to be _friends_, weren't they? They managed a few light, amiable chats and even a laugh here and there. Maddie still didn't get most of the jokes but obliged nonetheless.

Of all of this, it still was not what stuck out the most in the grueling evening she was having. No, it was only when Allison's mother stood and announced she needed help cleaning up that things had gotten much more interesting. Maddie, not subtle in the least, jolted up. "I can help!"

Allison gave her an odd look when she spoke. "You really don't have to do that…"

"It's no problem. It's the least I can do," Maddie replied quickly with a polite smile.

Chris took a drink before gesturing to the young slayer with his own almost patronizing grin to his sister. "See that? A well-mannered teenager. Doesn't happen every day, now does it?"

Allison rolled her eyes as Kate replied, "Teenagers aren't _supposed_ to be well mannered, Chris. They're _teenagers_."

Maddie hadn't caught the rest of the conversation as she followed Victoria into the kitchen, both of them with dishes in hand. The door swung closed behind them and the petite teenager gaped at the spacious and pristine room she'd just entered. Of course, the whole house – or at least the rooms she'd been allowed to see – was magnificent to say the least but then again she'd hardly ever lived in places she would ever describe with words like 'spacious' or 'pristine'. She remained distracted as she set the plates and glasses down by the sink which seemed to be a trigger for whatever emotions had been pent up in Victoria for the whole of the night. The older woman darted her alarmingly blue eyes to Maddie, her gaze startling the girl.

"Who do you think you are?" came the woman's low, snarling voice.

This caught Madeline off guard as her own dark eyes widened. As her brows furrowed, she gave herself an extra moment before speaking. "Wait, what?"

"You know very well what I just said." Victoria turned her attention away, sorting the dishes into neat piles of similar pieces. "Now, as I understand it, your organization runs itself. You must be used to not expecting orders by now."

"Okay, hold on –"

"And speaking out of turn," she promptly cut the young girl off, a sharp edge in her tone. Her head shot over to Madeline once more, examining her. Maddie looked down and noted that the woman now had a steak knife wrapped tightly in her hand. "You're superiors must not have thought that it would be responsible and courteous of them to send you straight to us, not our daughter. I understand you and your…people do things on your own terms these days but I will not have you acting without our knowledge again. You are under our employ and I expect you to treat us as such."

Madeline felt her jaw drop as she stared disbelievingly at the older woman. She momentarily looked down at herself, examining the back her hands. Aside from the few scars, she knew there was a very clear difference between her and everyone else in that house. A short, mirthless laugh escaped her as she glanced back up. "I'm sorry – not to make things…_more_ uncomfortable, but did you really just say 'my _people_'?"

"Vampire Slayers," Victoria spat out with a prominent frown stretching across her face and narrowing eyes. "Do _attempt_ to take this seriously."

"Who said I wasn't?" Maddie shrugged.

_**SLAM.**_Victoria drove the knife down into the wooden cutting board in front of her, causing Madeline to slightly jump. "Then act like it." She turned her entire body in the direction of the slayer. "You listen to me. You are going to leave my house, take each and every one of our orders, and protect Allison. You will utilize every effort to make sure she's safe – and you will not, under _any_ circumstances, allow her to find out what you are. Do you understand?"

Maddie gave a short, silent nod.

"_Yes or no_," the red head added sharply through gritted teeth.

Madeline drew in a shaky breath, watching the woman with a firm stare. Something about her seemed more dangerous now than either of the adults in the dining room – like that of the proud lion she resembled in the picture the slayer had been given. In a house full of human beings, Maddie had never in her life felt more unsafe and she was suddenly sure it would not be the last time. "…yes."


	9. Chapter Eight: Unveiled

**Chapter Eight: Unveiled**

The weekend left just as soon as it came and, before she knew it, Madeline found herself in the halls of Beacon Hills High School. The day had hardly even begun when she had been begrudgingly excused from her Chemistry class during their test. Instead, he'd ordered her to sit in the hall outside of the room to read the next chapter in their textbook and take notes – something he assured her that she would indeed be graded for. This would've been a completely uninteresting turn of events if not for the fact that she nearly jumped out of her skin when Scott came bursting out of the room and down the hall, dropping his bag and nearly tripping over her. Stiles - who followed only seconds later - actually did trip over her though, just barely regaining his footing. He quickly looked over at her, revealing the very distraught expression clearly on his face. His eyes widened when he saw her and he looked like he was about to explain – explain _what_, she had no idea. Instead he looked forward again, finding his friend's bag. He then ran off in Scott's direction and out of sight - and that was only that _morning_.

By lunch, in which she ended up sitting with Allison and – of all people – Jackson, listening quietly and nodding when she had to. Jackson somehow managed to be kind and charming while still cutting her out of the conversation whenever she did manage to say something. It was quite the skill. It wasn't that she didn't like him, really – no, wait, it actually was. Something about how he carried himself and spoke to people was unnerving. There was a velvety quality to his voice that made her want to hear more – which is what she assumed other girls in high school were drawn to. _That or the impossibly high cheekbones. _Either way, that would at least explain the awkward touching with him and Allison. It was uncomfortable to watch, to say the least. _Like watching a predator stalk its prey._

That wasn't the weirdest part of the day though. The weirdest part began after school after she saw Allison leave with her aunt. It was even after she followed a group of kids down to the lacrosse field. She watched in shock as Scott proceeded to almost immediately kip up after what looked like a fairly bad injury, following this up with taking out the goalie. Now, she had no idea how lacrosse was played – she never had any time to learn any sports, in her defense – but she was sure that was not part of it.

It was a bit odd to say the least, having seen this same person storming out of class and now injuring a fellow student – who, according to the whispering girls in front of her was one of the nicest people in school. Maybe this was about Allison breaking up with him; maybe it was connected to why he'd been in a school at night. Either way, she was beginning to think that this Scott McCall guy needed to be watched closely.

* * *

Tonight was going to be hell. This was the one single, solitary fact that stood out in Stiles' head. Tonight was going to be pure hell. He found himself packing a long, heavy chain into his black duffel bag that evening while he bitterly talked out loud in his empty house. "…help him with everything! Every freaking little thing! What does he do?..."

He'd been prepared for a lot since discovering his best friend was a werewolf but Scott making out with his crush – with the girl of his dreams – was _never_ on that list. As he roughly tossed more of the chain into his bag, he tried to erase the image in his head. Although he hadn't actually seen it, his mind continued to wander against his will as he pictured them together and made himself angrier every second. He had to convince himself that it was the moon. This was all happening because of the full moon. Scott – the Scott he knew – would never do this to him. It had to be the moon. _It has to be._

The doorbell rang then, just as Stiles finished packing his bag. His head shot up and he quickly stood. He knew his dad was working tonight and he wasn't expecting anyone. The pale teenager left his room and made his way downstairs before the doorbell rang once more. _It could always be Scott. _He sighed and turned the deadbolt before grabbing the doorknob and swinging the door open.

"Hey, Sco…" His voice trailed off and his mouth hung open as he was met with nothing. No one seemed to be around at all as he looked left and right, his heart now thumping quickly in his chest. Silence enveloped the entire block, leaving only the sound of crickets chirping and cars passing off in the distance. The sun was almost completely gone now, making it increasingly hard to see and leaving Stiles with a throttling fear in his chest.

He was about to quickly close the door when he glanced down to find a black bag set on the welcome mat. He looked closer and his breathing hitched in his throat as he grabbed for it. Pulling it up and examining it closely, he closed the door and locked it. This was hers, he _knew_ it; it was Madeline's bag. It was identical. His eyes were met with a familiar leather bag, which he did not wait to open. He flung open the top flap and unzipped the inside, leaning it in the direction of the light coming from the living room to look further. His eyes widened and he reached a hand in carefully, drawing in a deep breath. The first thing he managed to pull out was the largest of the few items in the bag. It was strange piece of equipment that seemed to have mini hinges on either side and a trigger like a gun. On the sided of the trigger handle was a button that he hesitantly pressed, causing the sides to spring out like wings, showing him that he was holding a small, compact crossbow.

He struggled to put the sides back down before setting it down next to him and extracting another item. This one proved to be almost stranger than the last, as he found a fairly short and thick stick, sharpened at one end. His eyebrows furrowed as he inspected it warily and dropped it next to the crossbow, more strange questions coming to mind. Then, his hand reached in the bag once more, feeling the bottom of it for anything else and his fingers brushing past a piece of paper. He frowned and gingerly picked it up, extracting this last item from the messenger bag. His breath caught in his throat and his mouth fell open again as he laid eyes on it. It wasn't a piece of paper though – well, okay, it was paper but there was a picture printed on the front.

A picture of Allison Argent and her parents.

Before Stiles could process anything else, he stuffed the picture back in the bag followed by the rest of the items. He then grabbed bag itself and rushed upstairs to get his duffel. He needed to talk to Scott about this as soon as possible but first both he and Scott needed to survive the night. They had to survive the full moon.

* * *

"…No! Not one!" Madeline said in a hushed voice. She leaned idly against a nearby tree as she looked through the bushes she had decided to use as cover. On the other side of them was a parking lot outside the sporting goods store she'd followed Allison to that evening. She'd received a text from an unknown number that afternoon to keep a close eye on the girl and, after a lengthy conversation with her watcher, discovered to her own relief that it was only Allison's dad. The phone was still practically attached to her ear as Xander began to speak.

"**Hey, maybe they heard you were coming."**

She exhaled in frustration. "Through what? The vampire grapevine?"

"**Or, I dunno, facebook."** There was a pause. **"You think vampires have facebook pages? Or are they still in the dark ages of pen and paper and landlines?"**

Maddie rolled her eyes. "Mister Harris…"

"**I know, I know, no vampires. You want my honest opinion though?"**

She shrugged as if he could hear it and gruffly muttered, "Sure."

"**Don't worry about it. You're not there to slay vampires, Mads."**

"Then why _am_ I here? I mean, I'm a _vampire_ slayer," she snapped, the stress of the week surfacing a bit through her tone. _These people are werewolf hunters! They don't need my help._

"**Because sometimes there are worse things out there than vampires, trust me on this – and we needed someone we knew could handle the job."**

She wanted to question the 'we' part, but decided against it. Instead she glanced over, back to the SUV Allison and Jackson were sitting in. Regardless of her mission, she didn't feel right sneaking around and spying on people. She was about to say something about it when she noticed something on one of the cars farther away. Something was moving, crouched over on all fours on the vehicle. Madeline's eyebrows furrowed and she squinted to see it better with no luck. "…I have to call you back."

"Wh-" was all she heard before she hung up and moved forward. It wasn't the Alpha; it was much too small to be the Alpha. The outline was much more human but it's stance didn't reflect that.

That was when whatever it was let out a thunderous roar. It started rushing toward the SUV at full speed, causing Maddie to do the same to intercept it. Sharp branches poked and scraped her on her way out of the bushes but she ignored them. The creature jumped on the roof of the car and began lift a clearly clawed hand. Madeline was almost there when another clawed hand shoved her down and a shadowed figure pushed the first out of sight. As if it was hardly more than a gentle breeze, she quickly got up, ignoring the three shredded claw marks on her shirt and ran in their direction.

The two were fighting and the larger one had seemed to get the better of the other. Maddie found herself rushing down the grassy hill, her crossbow tightly in hand. She stopped between the two, shifting the aim of the loaded weapon from one to the other. The dark shrouded the beasts and Madeline found herself focusing her sight to get a good look at either.

The larger of the two bellowed out its own roar in her direction, the blue of its eyes glowing furiously as it took a few steps toward her, slapping the crossbow from her hands. As it fell out of her grasp, Maddie decided against rushing for it again and instead used her now free hand to punch monster across the jaw as hard as she could. It – or rather _he_, she noted – stumbled back a few steps before shaking off the shock of the force. He slashed a clawed hand at her which she dodged, only narrowly escaping the damage. She attempted a spinning heel kick, intending to connect with his face again but he also moved out of the way. Missed hit after missed his continued between both of them until the werewolf tackled her into a nearby tree, crushing her ribs. The out of air and in pain, her attempt to block him failed and he grabbed her by the throat. She grabbed his wrist and tried with all of the strength she had left to pry his hand away but her attempts were promptly cut off by a shout.

"Stop!"

Both the creature and Maddie turned to find the other slightly smaller monster rushing over and grabbing the blue eyed one's shoulder. Madeline continued to struggle, intending already to fight both of them again. The wolf didn't listen and instead raised her up a few inches by the throat.

"I said stop!" the voice was much clearer this time, although the petite slayer was feeling dazed as her feet dangled just above the ground. The creature looked to the other with a cold, hard stare for a few extra seconds before releasing her completely. Maddie's body dropped to the ground, coughing as her throat clawed for air. She held her ribs, sure that a few were bruised – if not cracked.

Her vision started to focus again as she pushed herself up a bit, finding a hand offered to her. It wasn't clawed but her senses were still on alert. Her dark eyes drifted up from the hand to the person – or thing – who had offered it. She paled a bit as her stare landed on the familiar face. She stumbled backwards before she unsteadily got to her feet. Her breathing was still heavy and her hand was still clutching her midsection.

The other wolf was still there, shadowed and watching her suspiciously. She eyed him before speaking, her voice hoarse and still out of breath. "…Who…who's your friend, Scott?"

Hostility flooded her tone as they both looked over to the other creature. Scott himself looked a bit beaten up and unsteady on his feet as Madeline eyed him._ Two betas. Unknown if they've taken lives. Capture, don't kill_. Madeline, keeping her sights on the wolves, sidestepped over a few paces away from them and knelt down to grab her crossbow. The blue eyed wolf growled. She looked down at the weapon and then to Scott. "Get out of here. Both of you."

Scott, who looked cautious but concerned, slowly glanced over at the other werewolf who nodded. He hesitantly backed away and eventually out of sight. Madeline watched until she couldn't see them anymore and slumped against a tree, breathing heavily. _Someone they knew could handle the job? Yeah, right._

* * *

"Wait, what?!" Stiles nearly shouted before Scott gave him a distressed look. Reminded that he dad was just downstairs, he lowered his voice as he spoke again. "Who was there?"

"Madeline, the new girl," Scott repeated, panic still seeping into his tone as he kept it hushed. "She had a crossbow and she almost shot Derek!"

Stiles paused. "Now, when you say 'almost'…"

"Stiles!"

"Right, okay. This is bad," Stiles began but as he did, his eyes widened in horror. "Oh my god, this is bad!"

Scott who had been pacing around his friend's room for the better part of ten minutes, nodded in agreement. "Dude, I know. I was there-"

"No! Scott," Stiles started to say as he clumsily shot up off of his bed and fumbled around his closet. He pulled out a bag which Scott only slightly recognized. Stiles threw it to him. "This is _bad_."

Scott suddenly looked confused as he caught the bag. "What's…"

"It's hers. Maddie's." Stiles scratched the back of his head as he looked at the leather case. "It's the bag she left at the school."

"Wait, did your dad find it?" Scott asked.

Stiles shook his head and his expression turned a bit more worried than before. "There was a knock at the door and all that was there was that bag." He folded his arms and nodded to his friend. "Open it."

Scott's eyebrows furrow and he looked down at the bag, lifting the cover and unzipping it. His eyes widened in shock as he pulled out the compact crossbow and the piece of wood. "…a wooden stake?"

"That's not all," Stiles said, his eyes still on the bag.

Scott set the weapons on the desk and reached in the bag once again. The last thing he pulled out was a photo of Allison and her parents, which made Scott's stomach nearly leap into his throat. He quickly glanced up at his friend and back down at the picture. His thoughts were scattered and he turned over the picture, only to find a note.

"Dude, I don't know. Maybe she's another hunter or…"

"Stiles…did you see this?" Scott managed to say.

Stiles looked up at Scott in confusion, noticing he had the photo turned over. He rushed over to his friend and read over his should. "What? Does it say something…?"

_Alpha - has taken lives, capture and, if necessary, use lethal force._

_Betas - unknown if has taken lives, capture. do not kill._

_Guard the girl. She attends Beacon Hills High School. You'll be doing the same._

_Keep patrolling regiment. No other unexplained deaths have been reported. Better safe than sorry._

_Once the problem is taken care of, report to HQ._

_\- BS_

"What the…" Stiles began looking over at Scott.

Scott shook his head. "I don't know but…I don't think she's a hunter."

"There's no proof otherwise." It was Stiles turn to start pacing. "I mean, maybe there are other hunting families. Maybe they have a super secret headquarters and go undercover or..." He stopped and looked at his best friend whose look was almost incredulous. "Yeah, I don't even believe that much."

"She _punched_ Derek," Scott replied as if it were a revelation.

Stiles blinked and stared at the other boy. "…okay. I'm guessing that didn't end well."

"No, I mean like…she punched Derek and _he went down_," Scott tried again, his stare wild. "Okay, so it was only a few seconds but she hurt him – _without_ a weapon. Hunters are human. They can't do that!"

"Well, if she's abnormally strong, here to guard 'the girl' - which I'm guessing is Allison - _and_ kill the Alpha…" Stiles looked down at the weapons on his desk, focusing on the stake. "…then what the hell is she?"

**A/N: Finally! Here's chapter 8, a day before season 4 starts! Ugh. This one was tough. Mostly because of the switching POVs. Anyway, reviews are much appreciated!**


	10. Chapter Nine: Rescue

**Chapter Nine: Rescue**

* * *

**A/N: Alright! A week later and here we are! You have the show being back to thank for such a quick update! Okay, so to answer a bit: TotalGeek17, it's not the same Mr. Harris but that will be noted later in the story! Thanks for the feedback! and guest(?) thanks for the input! I appreciate it! You'll definitely see more of Maddie's personality in this chapter.**

**Anyway, read and review! Maybe the next chapter shall indeed be interesting!**

* * *

_"God, stop crying!" a redhead shouted, shoving a little girl into the wall with some force._

_The small child's wails got louder as her head and back hit the stone wall behind her. She held the back of her head, shielding her face with her forearms as she slid down the wall to the ground. Eight. She was only eight. Alone in a foreign country, she found herself at the mercy of those she was told to call her peers. Not all of them were attacking her, though. No, only a handful had begun doing that. The rest? Well, they were simply watching._

_An slightly older girl with a hard face and wild, blonde hair sneered and kicked the child in the shin sharply. "All week, we've had to listen to your stupid crying -" She roughly grabbed the little girl's forearm. "- and whining." The preteen pried the arm from the girl's face to look her dead in the eye. "You're a slayer just like the rest of us. Don't act like you can just get special treatment by making everyone feel bad for you."_

_Another girl slapped the side of her head as the small child choked out a loud sob. "I…" she began as her voice quivered. "I just…I wanna go home!" Another sob racked her chest as tears continued to stream down her cheeks._

_The blonde that still had a firm grip on her arm gave her a mocking pout. "Aw…you want to go home?" She drew out the question with a high pitched tone. When the child nodded, the grip got tighter and the older girl laughed – but it was a vicious, bitter laugh. "You're never going home. Never."_

_The older slayers continued to taunt the little girl, laughing as the she cried harder. That is, until a loud, authoritative voice boomed over theirs. "What the hell is going on here?!"_

_All of the girls but the smallest in the center froze, wide eyed – especially the one holding onto her. In a matter of seconds, two people had pushed through the crowd of girls. The child tried to look up but found everything was still too blurry from the tears still leaking from her eyes. She could only make out one person's shining blonde hair and the other's long brown hair. The first woman grabbed the girl in front of the young, sobbing slayer and yanked the preteen girl up to her feet. "Marie, what are you doing?"_

_Everyone in the room could feel the chill in the woman's voice. The child rubbed her now bruised forearm, trying her best to will her tears to stop._

_"Miss Summers! I…Well, we were…" Now Marie's voice was quaking. "She…I…"_

_"Don't think you're gonna get much outta her, B," the other woman said._

_The blonde woman let Marie go and folded her arms. "Drills. Until dinner. Before you eat, I expect full, coherent sentences on what happened." She spun around to the rest of the girls, those who had helped and those who had simply stood there. "That goes for all of you."_

_One of the girls in the back shouted, "But we didn't do anything!"_

_"Exactly," the blonde woman replied, her voice still cold._

_There was a pause before the other woman spoke up. "C'mon, girlies! To the field! If ya have enough energy to attack kids, then ya have enough energy to run laps!"_

_As the crowd dispersed, the blonde woman - who had become much clearer up close – leaned down and gave the little girl a worried gaze. "Madeline...it's okay. It's just me."_

_Maddie wiped her eyes and looked up at the woman with big, brown eyes. She sniffled and flinched when the woman touched her arm. "M-miss…Miss Summers?"_

_"Buffy, remember? I told you that you could call me Buffy," she said with a warm smile that almost reached her green eyes. "…Are you okay?"_

_The question alone made Maddie fall apart all over again. Choking sobs heaved in her chest as she tried to speak. "They were…they said…a-and I…I wanna go home!" She breathed in a deep, strangled breath and new tears streaked her face. "I just wanna go home!"_

_Buffy's smile fell slightly, her stare guilt-ridden. Her mouth remained slightly agape, words unable to pass from it. She breathed in and closed her mouth, folding the little girl in a hug. Maddie continued to cry as Buffy held onto her. They stayed that way until the child fell asleep, hearing the words "I'm sorry" every so often as soft as a lullaby._

* * *

"Okay, from the top," Stiles began, pressing the 'speaker' button on his phone and dropping it on his desk. He sat down in the computer chair and clicked on the minimized browser window. "New girl ends up at the school at night, claiming she was on a walk and heard a noise."

"**Okay, a little weird."**

"Right. Then, new girl stays behind and faces ginormous, psychotic Alpha werewolf and lives to tell the tale," he continued, typing into the search bar.

"**And you're **_**sure**_** you saw her stay behind…?"**

Stiles sighed exasperatedly as he clicked 'search'. "Dude, I was scared, not blind. She definitely stopped and turned around. Alright…" His eyes skimmed over the links as he continued. "And she was hurt; like, you smelled the blood, right?"

"**Right. And there was a lot of it. When she passed me on the way into the cafeteria, it was strong."**

"But she was totally fine by school on Monday." Stiles clicked on a link and hesitated for a moment. "I mean, as far as we know."

"…**I guess. I don't know, I was kind of distracted."**

The scrawny teenager leaned back in his chair, his thoughts muddling through the unpleasant memories of Monday. "Okay, then she shows up out of nowhere during your full moon freak out while you're fighting Derek, complete with crossbow."

"**And punches Derek."**

"My favorite part," Stiles muttered.

"**Stiles, focus!"**

"I'm focused! Totally focused." He leaned forward again and read through the page. "And while she's busy finding out your secret identity, someone drops this girl's bag on my doorstep with only three things it."

"**But we don't know who did it."**

"Or if those things were planted in the bag - which is pretty unlikely seeing as she showed up with _another_ weapon. But…" He clicked on another link. "That leads to the fact that someone knew something about her already and wanted us to know." He read through the first paragraph but stopped suddenly as a thought struck him. "Or…"

"**Or?" **There was a pause. **"Or what?! Stiles!"**

"…Or maybe wanted to distract us from the big picture." His mouth went dry as he spun around to look at the bag. "Someone who could get into the school and grab the bag without being noticed…who might have been attacked by this girl and wanted her out of the way…" He swallowed and got up, moving over to the bed and looking at the weapons as fear tightened in his chest. "Or, you know, some_thing_. Just off the top of my head, something maybe big and hairy and _completely_ unhinged. Something that, ah… apparently knows where I live."

The silence in the room almost made it seem as if the line went dead. Suddenly, Scott spoke up again. **"…Something that knows she's after it."**

* * *

Madeline cracked her neck idly as she leaned against the lockers, beside Allison and Lydia. She was finally back in school that Friday after her insane Monday night and the following days that she spent recuperating. She'd been asked to report in to both headquarters and the Argents and had been avoiding both for some time. All Xander could get out of her was that she had a run in with the Betas that did not end well for her. She thought about telling them all about Scott and whoever he was with but her own curiosity had gotten the better of her. She didn't want to relay only half of the information until she had it all – until she knew who the wolf her attacked her was. Then there was Scott; she wasn't sure what she wanted to do about him. He'd broken up the fight and quite possibly saved her life for all she knew. It partially made her feel uncomfortable; she wasn't used to being saved by anyone. As a slayer, she had to be self-sufficient to some extent, after all.

It didn't matter though. Either way she looked at the situation, eventually she was going to have to confront him. He was one of the Betas and had information she needed, information that was crucial to her mission. The mission came first. _The mission is what matters._

She stayed quiet, only giving short answered to make sure Allison thought she was listening. When she did so, she at least attempted to sound more like herself.

A few minutes later, she found herself sitting at a crowded table with the two and the addition of Jackson, who seemed to be distant and preoccupied. Of course, this was not of any surprise to her; he'd been that way since the first day she met him. It was strange nonetheless. When Maddie began wondering what had his attention, she followed his stare to find none other than Scott talking with Stiles. She'd seen them only a few times in classes that day but hadn't gotten a chance to approach Scott yet. She was about to excuse herself when her hearing picked up something – more specifically Jackson, who was whispering to himself.

"_You can, can't you?"_

Her eyebrows furrowed and she tilted her head to the side slightly, glancing between Jackson and Scott.

"_Are you trying to pretend not to hear me?"_

Jackson then got up from the table, which no one seemed to notice much less care. Maddie watched him walk off and then turned to Scott and Stiles who seemed to be thoroughly freaked out.

"Maddie!" Allison said again, snapping her fingers. Madeline turned to her with a blank expression, causing the youngest Argent to give her a concerned look. "You okay?"

Maddie nodded quickly and offered a tight smile. "Yeah! Just…thinking." She paused for a moment before her eyes widened. "Sorry, what were you saying before?"

"Lydia and I were going shopping before the game tonight," Allison replied, pointing to the girl next to her who was reapplying her lip gloss.

The Slayer raised her eyebrows in surprise as her interest piqued. "…There's a game tonight?"

Allison's smile faltered. "Yeah, but…I'm not actually going to the game."

"Which is ridiculous," Lydia added suddenly. "Scott's presence should not be affecting where you go or what you do. You're giving _him_ the power."

The pale brunette looked over at her as if she were about to say something but instead she let out a heavy sigh and turned back to Madeline. "Anyway, I'm still joining in on the shopping. You should, too. It'll be fun!"

Maddie arched an eyebrow and felt the word 'no' on the tip of her tongue. She swallowed, forcing the answer back down. She'd been so preoccupied with the situation with Scott – and apparently now with Jackson from the looks of it – that she hadn't even thought about her 'bodyguard' duty all that much. Not to mention, shopping was a better excuse than getting caught in the bushes spying on people. She smiled again, only trying to keep it a bit more natural this time. "Sure, I don't see why not."

"And to be clear," Lydia interjected, "this is a test run. I don't typically invite people with little to no fashion sense, but lucky for you Allison wants you there."

Maddie looked down at her clothes, simple and comfortable as always. Her smile fell slightly and she nodded. "Right."

Allison gave an apologetic look before a loud crack sounded from the center of the room. Everyone turned and all eyes were on Scott, who seemed to have broken his lunch tray. His eyes were dark as they sent a dangerous glare to the far corner of the room. Maddie looked over to find a smirking Jackson staring back, eating his apple. Before she knew what was happening, Scott left his broken tray behind and stormed out of the cafeteria followed in suit by a worried looking Stiles.

In a flash, Maddie stood up and grabbed her bag. Hesitating, she looked over at bewildered faces of the rest of her table, including Allison and Lydia. Eyes wide as she took a second to think, she finally found her voice again. "I just remembered! Stiles is letting me borrow some notes." She was quiet for a moment and blinked. "I need to go get those. Right now."

Without waiting for a response, she roughly pushed in her chair and bolted out of the room. Allison turned her confused stare to her friend, whose only reply was, "_You're_ the one who wanted her to sit here."

* * *

Maddie's heavy footfalls echoed in the scarcely populated hallway, her eyes searching for Scott and Stiles. Spotting them several yards ahead and heading in the direction of the nearest exit, she was about to follow when she heard something. There was a whimper and a slam. Her head snapped over in the direction of the sound, finding a few very large boys in sports sweatshirts huddled around something_. From the sounds of it, someone_, was the unpleasant thought that entered her head. She frowned and looked back over to her targets that were half way out the door. Her gaze shifted between the two places in indecision.

It was then she noted something; there were two people standing around idly chatting. Every few seconds, they would uncomfortably glance over to the boys and whoever they were attacking. She gritted her teeth and turned around, striding over to the unknown boys and their prey. She roughly grabbed one of their shoulders – the biggest of the three – and spun him around. The boy looked more irritated than anything else. Madeline arched an eyebrow. "What are you doing?"

"None of your business," he replied with a sneer.

The slayer's eyes narrowed on him before she glanced over to the vacant space he stood. In the ground against the lockers was a pale, blonde girl with wide, frightened eyes. She was shaking slightly as she looked at the slayer. Maddie's stare darkened as it returned to the boy. "You need to stop before you get yourselves hurt."

All three of them laughed and it was clear why. Maddie was no more than a hair above five foot two and rather average sized. There was nothing overtly muscular or at all threatening about her as far as they could tell. The one she was holding onto tried to regain his composure. "Wait, was that a threat?"

Another one of the smaller boys – the blond one – circled around her, his lean form resting against the lockers as he ran his eyes up and down her body. Maddie felt more than a bit disgusted and fought back the urge to take them all out right there. The boy smirked and folded his arms. "And what do we get if we do?"

Maddie's stomach lurched at the idea. She looked around at the boys now surrounding her, noting the maroon hooded sweatshirts with the team logo on the front. Her gaze met the smaller boy's again and she tilted her head with a smile, her grip leaving the larger one's shoulder finally. "You boys play lacrosse, am I right?" They didn't have time to answer before she went on. "Then I have a proposition for you." She pointed momentarily at each one of them. "You leave now and go to your game tonight unscathed or…" Her smile dropped instantly. "You can stay and I can break each of your arms in three different places rendering all of you, for lack of a more fitting term…" A ghost of a smirk appeared on her lips. "…_impotent_."

Their smiled fell completely and the largest of them, out of offense and quite possibly rage, moved forward and tried to grab Madeline. The slayer side stepped the large hand and grabbed his wrist and forearm tightly, yanking him down to knee him in the stomach. Out of her peripheral, she noticed the other two coming in quickly. As the largest of the three remained out of breath and in pain, Maddie used his already clenched fist, forcing it into the ribs of the blond boy and then forcing the elbow behind them and into the last boy's jaw. Finally, she twisted the arm, forcing the largest boy's to spin around to the lockers which she then slammed him into.

She kept a firm hold on the boy's arm, causing him to yelp in pain. His two friends were on their knees, gasping for breath and holding onto their respective bruised body parts. Maddie leaned in close, the tone in her voice almost dangerous. "If I see another bruise on this girl, it'll be my _personal_ mission to make sure none of you ever play another sport again." She paused and took a deep, calming breath. "Am I making myself clear?"

The large high school student weakly nodded and Madeline instantly let go of him. He turned around, huffed a few times as if he would finally do something. Hit her, maybe. His fist was balled and shaking when he looked at her and then at his friends who were struggling to stand upright and walk away. His eyes shifted to the few people who witnessed the scene. Without another word, he stomped off with his friends in tow.

"Have a good game!" Maddie called after them, without a drop of sincerity. She spun around to the two onlookers, her stare still icy. "The same goes for you. Get out of here."

The two girls, looking almost scandalized, looked at each other then back to Madeline. The short, skittish looking one spoke up first. "What?! But we didn't do anything!"

Maddie stopped for a second, the words slicing through her. The look on her face was unreadable as she took a breath. "…Exactly."

The girls looked down at the helpless girl on the floor, perhaps ashamed of themselves. A bit frightened, they glanced back at Maddie once before rushing off.

As if snapping back to reality, she found herself eyeing the doors she saw Scott and Stiles went through minutes before. A tired, heavy sigh escaped her lips and she looked down at the girl, holding out a hand. The girl shook her head and struggled to stand on her own. "No, it's okay. I, um…I got it." She rolled up the sleeves of her oversized sweat shirt and tried to smooth down her frizzy, blonde hair. She looked over in the direction the boys had gone and frowned. "H-how do you know they won't tell a teacher or something?"

A short, bitter laugh left Maddie as she folded her arms and looked in the same direction. "Because they'd have to admit they were beat up by a girl." The petite slayer looked over at the girl again, this time much closer. There were bags under her light brown eyes, which were still a bit red. She was pale, thin and frail-looking, like she was about to break into a million pieces if someone touched her – both physically and emotionally. "Let me know if they hurt you again, alright?"

The girl shook her head again. "It's fine! You don't have to do that…"

"_Let me know_, okay?" Maddie repeated much more firmly this time. The blonde girl opened her mouth but nothing came out. Instead, she simply nodded. Maddie gave her a small, sympathetic smile before turning and heading toward the door she had intended to follow the Beta and his friend through.

"Hey," the girl called out weakly. Madeline stopped and turned to the blonde who continued. "…What's your name?"

The slayer hesitated for a second or two and finally answered. "Maddie."

The girl gave her own small, appreciative smile. "I'm Erica." There was a short pause, almost as if she had to will herself to speak again. "…thanks, Maddie."

Maddie nodded to Erica and pushed through the exit.


	11. Chapter Ten: Emergencies

**Chapter Ten: Emergencies**

* * *

Hours. It had been hours since lunch and now Maddie found herself leaving her last class of the day. She wasn't entirely sure if she was supposed to meet someone somewhere due to this…_shopping_ trip, but it was a safe bet that she would run into one of the people she knew before she left the school. She was hoping it'd be the boys she'd been trying to track down all day. They'd both managed to evade her thus far and it was irritating to say the least. Even in the classes they shared, they managed to grab seats as far away from her as humanly possible. It was a fair reaction, considering she'd blatantly attacked their werewolf friend after all. Still, it was getting infuriating.

Now, she found herself walking down the crowded halls, hoping to find something – what that something was, she didn't know yet. Anything, really. A lead, a fight, an escape from this afternoon's plans. She released a heavy sigh and lazily put her wavy hair up in a messy ponytail as she turned the corner, finding her eyes gravitating toward a couple in the center of the corridor. She groaned, recognizing Jackson and Lydia almost immediately. It had hardly been past a week and she knew them on site and that almost scared her a bit. This was not how she thought her week – let alone her mission – would go thus far. Her pace slowed as their voices became clearer. An argument. _Great_. She wanted to turn around and bolt down the hall in the opposite direction and even hesitated as she continued forward.

"Dumping, actually. I'm _dumping_ you." Jackson's voice was light and airy as he spoke, a smirk resting on his face.

Maddie froze at the words and began debating if it was too late to turn around.

Lydia grabbed his leather jacket and pulled him back. Her face struggled to remain stoic as she looked him dead in the eye. "Dumped by the _co_-captain of the lacrosse team." Maddie noticed the look in her eyes betrayed her expression and her words, which was interesting. It was a more unrestrained reaction than even the other night at the school; it was baffling that something like this affected her more. "I wonder how many _minutes_ it'll take me to get over that."

Jackson simply smiled and shrugged her hand off, walking past Maddie who was just carefully making her way over. Lydia's stare was ablaze as she shouted after him, "No, wait, seconds! _Seconds_!" The fairer girl looked around, as if to see if anyone caught her blowing a gasket. That's when her eyes stopped on Maddie, who was almost right next to her at that point and giving Lydia an expectant look. Lydia huffed and glared. "What?"

Maddie's eyes were wide as she raised an eyebrow and looked back at the direction Jackson had gone, then over to Lydia again. "…Everything okay?"

"Fine," the redhead said, a sharp edge in her voice. "Everything's _fine_." She dropped her phone into her purse and folded her arms. The next words that came out of her mouth seemed hesitant and almost forced. "So. Shopping?"

Maddie's mouth fell open to say something against it as Lydia began walking towards the school entrance. The slayer sped up to stay in toe, brows furrowed. "Wait, what about Allison? Isn't she going too?"

Lydia's eyes rolled. "Allison cancelled. She said she had something _important_ to do." Her annoyance shone through in her tone as she roughly pushed open the door to the outside.

"What?!" Maddie replied, unable to hide her shock. "But- no, I- …she said-"

They made their way through the parking lot to the shiny black Volkswagen Beetle in the center. Lydia, clearly resolving to keep her cool, reached in her back for her keys. Pulling them out she pressed a button attached to one of them, causing the lights on the car to blink. As she reached the driver's side of the vehicle, she gave Maddie a deadpan glance. "And now, she's not going. Get over it and get in the car."

Maddie frowned; she didn't quite understand why she was still moving towards the car but there was something authoritative in Lydia's tone that made her oblige. She managed not to gripe about it and instead mustered up a half-hearted glare and got in the passenger side.

* * *

It had been little over an hour and Madeline Hayes found herself trailing behind Lydia Martin in the center of Macy's with little choice in the matter. Lydia seemed to be manically picking up, examining, and putting back clothes. She'd only managed to pick up one item and decided to buy it. Of course, this clearly wasn't enough. Maddie didn't quite understand how this was helping the girl after a break up; how spending money could possibly quell her frayed emotions. Then again, she wasn't one to judge.

On the other hand, she certainly felt like she was wasting her time.

This was neither beneficial toward her mission nor following her leads. If anything, this was hindering her progress with pointless activity. She grimaced at the mannequins in their trendy clothes.

Lydia seemed to note this reaction but continued nonetheless. She raised a top she'd picked out just moments before and examined it in the mirror. The color was too dark and seemed to wash out her skin tone – not to mention it wasn't nearly bold enough. It was then she caught a glimpse of an increasingly bored Maddie eyeing passersby. That was when she stuck out her hand and grabbed the girl's arm, dragging her over.

Maddie seemed caught off guard by the action, as she actually let it happen. She gave the other girl an indignant look and was about to say something when Lydia beat her to it. "Stand still." She then proceeded to place the top in front of Maddie and study it. After a few seconds, she shoved it into the petite slayer's hands before moving on. "That's what I thought."

"Huh?" Madeline managed to say. She looked down at the piece of clothing quickly, shaking her head. "Whoa. Okay, _no_. Not happening!" This seemed to make Lydia stop and turn back around, giving Maddie a look as if she were speaking gibberish. "We're not here for me. We're here for you – _just_ you."

"I completely agree," Lydia said, spinning back around and continuing to look through clothes. This time though, it seemed she only kept analyzing them and turning back to also analyze Maddie. "Allison wants you to sit with us and even though I don't understand her judgment on that, I can work with it. In fact, I've been needing a…" Lydia held up another shirt and looked at Maddie again before putting it back. "…project."

"Is this about your boyfriend?" Maddie suddenly asked, causing Lydia's head jerk back towards her.

"_Ex_," Lydia stressed, narrowing her hazel eyes. "And no, it has _nothing_ to do with him. Can't a girl do anything without it being because of some half-wit _boy_?"

Maddie blinked and shrugged her shoulders. "…I don't know how you want me to answer that."

Lydia gave a small sigh and went back to flicking through the hangers, stopping ever so often. She raised another top, studying it for a moment. "Besides, I find organizing new color palettes…" Her head tilted and a tight smile stretched across her lips. "…_soothing_."

* * *

The sun had long since set and Maddie now found herself walking the remaining distance to the motel. After their strange yet almost amiable outing, it took her about ten minutes to convince Lydia that she was going to walk home. There were quite enough questions she had to make up answers to and she didn't need another. Now she quietly carried her backpack through the dimly lit streets, half patrolling and half walking to the motel. Tucked away safely in her bag were a few other bags now – clothes Lydia had convinced her to buy after quite a bit of arguing. They were alright, considering she never really thought about wearing anything that exceeded her comfort level. If she couldn't fight in it, what was the point? She adjusted the strap of her bag and sighed, bring her thoughts back to patrolling.

She then came to a traffic light, stopping as she saw the bright red hand across the street. The slayer shuffled a bit in her spot, mulling over her thoughts; dwelling over how she hadn't accomplished a thing all week. All the girl needed was one moment to question Scott McCall or his little sarcastic friend and that would've been progress. After all, it only took less than a week to stumble upon his identity – which certainly called into question just how bad he was at keeping his secret. Maddie was astounded that Allison didn't know yet. Of course it also meant she had given her own secret away, but she decided not to think about that just now.

The traffic light turned red just then and just one car slowed to a stop while the red hand turned into a whitish-yellow person. Maddie began walking, her feet slightly dragging across the blacktop. She was getting tired and it wasn't even ten yet. Part of her thought that this mission would be quick and easy, meaning she'd be on her way back to headquarters by now. Instead, she had hardly made any progress at all. She stuffed her hands in her pockets as she passed the blue jeep and reached the sidewalk.

That was when she stopped_. Blue jeep._ No. Other people have those too. She spun around and looked at the vehicle, finding a wide-eyed Stiles and an slightly older stranger in the car. Her head tilted as she examined them, unable to hear their voices.

What she did hear as the light turned green again was the stranger saying aggressively, "Stiles, _drive_."

The wheels screeched as they spun out a bit and zoomed off into the night. Maddie suddenly seemed to find herself at a crossroads, in more ways than one. _Well, I could wait for opportunities to come to me…_

Her eyes narrowed on the car that was speeding away. _…or chase down my own._

She tightly gripped her bag and went into a full sprint. The car was faster though, much faster as it failed to stop at the next stop sign. It was certainly times like this she wished she could toss her bag into the bushes and give herself the extra momentum – alas setting down her things tended to end with her losing them altogether. She pushed herself harder, still in sight of the car and slowly gaining on it. Her hair whipped around as the wind picked up, making it especially hard to see. Maddie just barely missed hitting the fence in front of her, instead vaulting herself over it.

Across yards and sidewalks, she ran, silently thanking Kennedy's harsh training regimen before returning her focus to the blue jeep. Weaving through some trees, she found herself back at the sidewalk and, to her own relief, right next to Stiles' car as it kept going. Her eyes darted over for a moment to see an intrigued, scruffy looking stranger and a mortified Stiles clearly mouthing 'Oh my God! What the f-' before she had to turn back to narrowly miss an oncoming car. The ugly, mustard-colored sedan screeched to a halt and loudly honked its horn as the jeep and the girl continued on.

That was when Stiles made a quick, unanticipated left across traffic and into the entrance labeled "Beacon Hills Hospital". Maddie came to a stumbling stop, nearly tripping over herself. She growled under her breath and speedily crossed the intersection to catch up once again. She slowed her pace finally, several feet away from the jeep. She noticed the dark silhouettes in the window and stopped, crouching quickly behind a bush. Her breathing was ragged now and she was sweating quite a bit as she finally set down her backpack. Her hands fumbled as she rushed to unzip it and dig past the plastic shopping bags to reach what was under them. Maddie carefully pulled out a newly sharpened stake and a small, dark vile, stowing them in her sleeves.

That was when she heard the car door open and slam shut. She immediately poked her head up at the noise, eyes focusing on the lone figure walking towards the entrance. Her stare darted over to the jeep, noting the stranger was still sitting in the passenger side. Her eyes narrowed on the figure, uneasiness settling in her stomach. The slayer wondered quietly whether either of the two were also wolves or not. There was no telling yet but odds at least told her that there was a better chance that if they both were, Stiles would most likely be the easier to take in a fight. Of course, the only way to get there was to pass the car. She cracked her neck then, grumbling to herself, and stood. Steeling herself, she began the nerve-wracking walk to the jeep.

Unfortunately, before she could make her way all the way over, the stranger swung open his door and thunderously slammed it closed. He had a phone to his ear and was facing her instantly. Maddie stopped in her tracks, hardly a yard away from the man that towered over her. There was a familiarity to him as he glowered at her. She glanced past him to the hospital entrance then back to the stranger. "I have to get in there."

He growled – not an ordinary growl though. Something lower, more ferocious, and almost…inhuman. In that moment, she watched his eyes glow a bright blue, piercing through her. Her eyes widened for a moment before her stare darkened and a grim laugh passed her lips. "Of course it's you."

Instead of moving to attack her or reply, he instead seemed to speak into the phone. "Then ask for Jennifer, she's been taking care of my uncle." Neither moved from their spots, though Maddie's hands twitched at her sides anxiously. After another moment, the man's glare shifted to confusion. "What?!"

Maddie's curiosity piqued as she focused her attention and hearing on the phone. Vaguely, she managed to make out, "**He's not here. He's _gone_, Derek."**

That was when something she hadn't expected happened, the werewolf – _Derek_ – paled. His attention didn't seem to be on her at all anymore. He turned to the hospital with wide, horror-struck eyes. "Stiles, get out of there right now! It's him! He's the Alpha! Get out!"

Maddie seemed to go white as a ghost herself as the wolf hung up the phone and he quickly shot her a look. "What the hell are you waiting for?! You're a slayer; go do your job!"

She gaped at him. "How-"

"_Go_!" He grabbed her by the shoulder and pushed her forward. The beta went into a dead run himself, clearly expecting her to follow. It took her a second to register what was happening but quickly followed him all the same.

They ran in the double doors and bolted down corridor after corridor. She kept her eyes on the wolf who days before got the better of her, unsure if she should trust him. There was no time to think about that now though, especially if the Alpha was in the building. Her heart was beating rapidly, though she couldn't discern if that was because of all of the running or because she's knew someone could be in danger. She willed herself to go faster, unfamiliar with such a level of adrenaline.

They turned the corner once more and the beta elbowed what looked like a nurse in the face.

At the far end of the hall was a man with graying hair and a face that was horribly disfigured on one side. He looked at Derek without even an ounce of surprise. "That's not nice; she's my nurse."

"She's a psychotic bitch helping you kill people. Get out of the way," he said without taking his eyes off of the older man.

Stiles seemed to have taken the last part as an order directed towards him as his shoulders slumped. "Ah…damn," was all he managed as he ducked down to the ground.

"You think I killed Laura on purpose? One of my own family?" the man replied, his voice lower, angrier as he walking closer. Derek let out a deafening roar and went forward to attack, only to be caught by the scarred man and shoved into a wall so hard that the part of the wall was crushed for the force. Maddie took a defensive stance, the motion catching the man's attention as Derek fell to the ground. "And _you_ \- you seem to be getting in my way a lot lately. How very _typical_ of the Slayer."

Much faster than she anticipated, he ducked her oncoming forearm shot and easily backhanded her into the other wall, having much of the same effect on it as Derek did. She fell to the ground on her hands and knees, spitting out a bit of blood in her mouth and peering up at the man – the Alpha. In the distance, she noticed Stiles scramble out of the way. Discreetly as possible, she allowed the vile to slip out of her sleeve as she grasped it tightly.

"You know," he began again, keeping his foot on Derek's throat as he pulled something from his leather coat. In the florescent light gleamed a freshly polished double-headed hand axe, both sides filled with intricately carved Celtic symbols weaving through each other. Maddie's eyes widened and, for the second time that night, she paled. The man looked at the weapon with interest. "I was beginning to see you as a threat, but let's be fair here –" He threw the axe, narrowly missing the slayer as she rolled out of the way. "You can't even keep track of your toys."

Without another word, she popped open the top of the vile and quickly splashed the content in the direction of the Alpha. Although it barely hit him, some made contact with his skin, searing it momentarily. In the distraction, Maddie made it to her feet weakly and bolted toward her hand axe, yanking it out of the linoleum. She them sprinted to the closest open door, behind her dropping the vile labeled '_Wolfsbane Oil – Emergencies! :)_'.

As she heard the fight commence between the two wolves, she caught sight of a panicking Stiles crouched on the floor. The slayer grabbed him by the collar roughly and dragged him to his feet. "C'mon!" she whispered, her voice harsh and urgent.

Without a second thought, the two bolted toward the exit.

* * *

**A/N: The wolfsbane was in fact given to Maddie by Willow. Just FYI. Don't forget to review if you liked the chapter! Feedback is mucho appreciated.**


	12. Chapter Eleven: Super Girl

**Chapter Eleven: Super Girl**

* * *

Fifteen minutes. It had been fifteen whole minutes that Madeline sat with her arms folded in the worn blue jeep in dead silence as Stiles drove toward the school. She kept her thickly outlined eyes on him as her mouth stretched into a frown. It had been this way the entire drive and it wasn't getting any better. It had been enough that they had argued for whole minute in the hospital parking lot about whether or not she'd get in the car.

_"Scott doesn't need both of us there to warn him! You go!"_

_"And I don't need a dead whatever you are on my conscience! Just get in the jeep!"_

Eventually, she'd been worn down enough and got in, convincing herself that she only did so because she still had to question Scott. She hadn't been able to say a word since, as she knew it'd end with her yelling again. In that moment though, she allowed all of her questions to flood into her brain, sifting through them all. For instance, what was Stiles? Was he anything? She doubted it, thinking back to the incident at the hospital. Why was he with that wolf? And the better question: why was he so okay to leave without him?

Eventually, Stiles glanced over – most likely in his own suspicion. He gave the girl a blank look before focusing back on the road. "What?"

This did nothing to deter her glare. "…What are you?"

"Human! Male. Leo." He turned the corner and began drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. "A severely freaked out high school student. Take your pick." Maddie had rolled her eyes and finally looked away, out the passenger side window as Stiles began to speak again. "And what about you, huh?! What did the Alpha call you again?"

Maddie groaned and rolled her eyes. A sigh of relief escaped her as they pulled up to the school, the tires screeching to a halt as they quickly parked.

Stiles on the other hand, looked back over at her instantly. "This conversation – _not_ over!" He tried to give an intimidating glare but was sidetracked when his keys failed to leave the ignition. Maddie raised an eyebrow as she unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the passenger side door. He tugged a bit longer at the keys before they finally released and he quickly got out of the car as well – but with much more frustration.

The two began rushing toward the school, Maddie a bit ahead and wiping the dried blood from the corner of her mouth as people continued to file out of the building. Just as Stiles managed to match her pace though, they both heard something.

"Maddie?"

The slayer stopped in her tracks and grimaced, recognizing the voice. Stiles stopped as well and looked back before Maddie spoke quietly. "Go find Scott. I'll meet you both inside. _Hurry._"

Stiles gave a silent nod and rushed inside. Maddie, on the other hand, took a deep breath and turned around as Allison walked towards her. The petite slayer forced a tight-lipped smile and waved, every one of her actions feeling stiff and unnatural. Allison smiled widely and closed the distance. "Hey! You missed the game!"

"The game?" Maddie asked, eyebrows furrowing in confusion. A half-second later, her eyes widened and her mouth hung open for a moment. "Right! The game! I forgot." She shrugged her shoulders.

Allison glanced behind her friend at the entrance of the school and back. "And instead…you hung out with Stiles."

"Yeah," Maddie said with a nod. It came out a bit quick but she had failed to think of any other alibi.

The youngest Argent raised an eyebrow, seeming quite a bit amused. "…During the game he was supposed to be in."

"Yeah- wait, what?" The slayer blinked rapidly and gave the other girl a look as if she'd just seen her head get lopped off. Allison giggled at the reaction which did nothing but confuse Maddie further. "What?!"

Allison shook her head slowly, still smiling from ear to ear. "Nothing, nothing…It's just…" She slightly shrugged. "…cute."

Maddie needed a moment to process this; she didn't quite understand what was 'cute' or why for that matter. _We were walking, Allison saw us walking, and…and… _In that instant, her face paled and contorted in an incomprehensible amount of shock, although she would consider that an understatement. "You…you think that-"

"Really, there's nothing wrong with it!" An airy laugh came from Allison, most likely due to the expression the suggestion earned. She shrugged. "I mean, I didn't think he'd be your type but…"

"He is _not_ my type!" Maddie was shouting and gesturing emphatically now, waving her hands and shaking her head. "Why…How could you even-…_Gods_, no!"

"It's okay, Maddie!" Allison said, her smile unfaltering until she took a moment to backtrack. "Hold on. Did you say 'gods'? Like, plural?"

Maddie's mouth opened to speak but nothing came out. Fortunately, Chris Argent's voice boomed over the crowd. "Allison! Time to go!"

Allison looked like she was about to say something but instead simply smiled, although her eyes were still curious. She gave a quick wave to the shorter girl. "Text me later." She pointed at her and narrowed her eyes playfully. "We are _so_ talking about this."

As she left, Maddie sighed and slumped her shoulders. "Oh, of course we will," she muttered under her breath before turning and walking into the school. By the time she entered through the front doors, the halls were practically bare, only with a few people chatting excitedly as they headed out. She did a quick once over before pulling out her phone.

_Where are you two?_ **[Fri 10:32 PM]**

She tapped the side of her phone with her index finger impatiently, rocking on the balls of her feet. After a moment that seemed much longer than it actually was, her phone buzzed in her hand.

**Stiles:** _Boys locker room we'll be out in a sec _**[Fri 10:34 PM]**

Maddie rolled her eyes and began walking again. She was already thoroughly annoyed by this boy – even more so now after speaking to Allison – and was not about to wait patiently for him and his werewolf buddy. Her strides got longer and quicker as she rounded the corner and bolted for the door marked 'Boys' Locker Room', roughly pushing it open and walking in. As she went further into the foreign territory, she caught sight of the boys. Stiles jumped when he saw her, as did Scott who was trying to cover himself up as he was only in a towel. Maddie didn't quite take that into consideration when she entered, now turning her head toward the nearest wall.

"Oh my _god_, what are you doing?!" Stiles shouted, as if he'd been the one who got caught pants-less. "I said we'd be out!"

The slayer shrugged, attempting not to laugh. After all, she was still a teenage girl in a boys' locker room, but she wasn't about to give in to something that immature. "Yeah, well, you were taking too long!"

"Maybe we were taking too long for a reason! Maybe our bad thing isn't the only bad thing that happened tonight!" Stiles argued, his hand gestures increasing with his temper. "Maybe -!"

"Will you guys stop?!" Scott yelled, holding his head in his hands. Both Maddie and Stiles shrank back, with equally childish reactions – mostly folding their arms and huffing loudly. Scott looked up at the girl, his stare noting his uncertainty. "Stiles said Peter called you something."

Maddie's eye grew wide and her arms fell back to her sides.

"You're obviously not a werewolf, but you're not human either," Stiles muttered, giving her a curious look, although still with an air of annoyance.

Maddie narrowed her eyes on him. "I _am_ human."

"Human beings-!" He stopped himself and regained his composure. "I don't know if _you_ know this but human beings don't actually run as fast as cars or walk away from monster fights in one piece."

There was a prolonged silence as she frowned, glaring holes through the pale boy. "You wouldn't believe me." She looked down at Scott with an empty stare. "Neither of you would."

"Uh, hello," Stiles began gesturing to Scott. "Werewolf." He then gestured to himself. "Friend of werewolf. So, unless you're freaking Super Girl on vacation from Metropolis, I think we can handle it."

A hollow laugh escaped her, echoing off the walls as she shook her head. "Fine then." She took a deep breath, repeating that stupid outdated legend over and over in her head as her stomach churned. _Into each generation…she alone will stop the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness…she is…she is…I am…_ She swallowed hard and looked the boys dead in the eye. "I'm a Vampire Slayer."

A long silence passed between the three as the boys watched her, confused. Their mouths hung open slightly as she watched their brains quietly process the words. Stiles furrowed his eyebrows, opening and closing his mouth as if he kept thinking of what to say and then changing his mind rapidly. Scott's eyes darted around rapidly in thought, like she had said something in a different language.

That was when one single, solitary question found its way to Stiles head and without a second thought it left him.

"Wait…you're a _what_?"

* * *

Stiles sat on Scott's bed, rubbing the fresh bruise on his forearm gently as he glared at Madeline – who was glaring back, mind you. She leaned on the wall beside a poster of some band she's never heard of with her arms folded across her chest. Scott, on the other hand sat quietly in his computer chair, his dark eyes darting from his hands to Maddie back and forth in deep thought. In between flares of severe annoyance, Maddie silently went over the order of events since she had told them her secret.

Maddie had repeated her confession_. "I'm a vampire slayer."_

Scott had finally spoken. _"A vampire…"_

"…_**Slayer**__. Yeah,"_ she had cut him off, emphasizing both syllables in 'slayer' as if she were speaking to a small child.

Stiles had laughed - not just any laugh though; it was hysterical laughter…that continued for almost a full minute.

That was when she punched him in the arm, holding back quite a bit when she reminded herself he was human. Still, it started turning purple rather quickly.

After several more minutes of _"vampires don't exist"_, someone had walked into the locker room, shocked to find a girl there. The unanimous vote was to leave and discuss this somewhere much more private. So, after a prolonged awkward silence between Maddie and Stiles in his jeep, Scott showed up fully dressed and they sped off.

That was twenty minutes ago. Since then, she had allowed the two to process the information, not that that was going all that well either.

"There's no proof," Stiles began, narrowing his eyes on Maddie.

The Slayer rolled her eyes discreetly and muttered, "Not in this town, at least…" Off the boys' looks, she sighed and pushed herself off the wall. "Look, they're real. Vampires. Evil, blood sucking fiends. Pale. Sharp teeth. It's all true. Scott?"

Scott blinked, returning his stare to the girl. "Uh, yeah?"

Madeline walked over to him and kneeled down to be eye level with the boy. "Listen to my heart beat." There was a moment of silence in which the only thing that was clear was just how uncomfortable Scott looked. "Vampires…are…real. They're very dangerous. I was trained to slay them." There was another pause. "Okay?"

Scott looked as if he were searching for something as the silence went on. He heaved a sigh and slowly turned to Stiles. "…She's not lying."

The pale boy's shoulders slumped; still, he gestured to her again but with much less conviction. "Or maybe you believe your own hype. We don't really have a vampire here for you to _slay_."

Maddie stood and gave Stiles a pointed glare. "Fine." She took a long step back and motioned to the computer. "Why don't you look it up?"

The boys exchanged confused glances before giving her two suspicious ones. "Is…this a trick?" Scott replied carefully.

Maddie shook her head. "Not at all." As Scott slowly scooted over to the desktop and jiggled the mouse, Stiles quickly stumbled over to look over his shoulder. "Search new articles for puncture neck wounds, severe blood loss, and missing persons."

Again, the two gave each other cautious looks before Scott began typing. It was a few extra moment before the petite slayer turned to the screen and awaited a response.

"Madison, Wisconsin – two teenagers missing, one found dead. Two punctures in the neck. Cause of death according to coroner: exsanguination or…" Scott's voice trailed off as his eyes widened.

Stiles exhaled loudly. "…severe blood loss."

"That was two days ago." Scott sounded distant as he continued. "Cleveland, Ohio – two women found dead in local night club 'Velvet Dog'. The CPD has not yet released any information but the bartender on the scene who found the two early this morning has attested that there were in fact puncturing neck wounds on both girls, correlating with the recent string of serial murders…"

"Albany, Portland, New Orleans, San Francisco…" Stiles watched the screen as Scott scrolled. "This is just this month."

Maddie shrugged, her expression unchanged. "Just because you don't see it doesn't mean it's not happening." They both turned to her but remained quiet, wearing equally unsettled and unsure stares. The brunette girl huffed loudly. "Look, I get that you don't believe me. I get it. It's big and scary and you're not ready – but there are more important things going on! There's a psychotic alpha werewolf that wants Scott on his side and already has one beta playing for his team. I came here to _stop him_, not explain myself to amateurs."

"But why you?" Stiles asked, glancing up at her in confusion. "I mean, why send a _vampire slayer_ to stop a werewolf?"

"It's a _title_," she said, withholding a growl. "Slayers deal with any and all monsters. It's part of the deal."

"What _deal_?" The irritation in Stiles' tone overshadowed his curiosity as he stood again but kept his distance. The last thing he needed was another bruise – or worse, something broken.

"Now isn't the time! Drop it!" She had taken a step closer as if she actually did intend to punch him again. Arms folded once again, she found to unclench her fists.

That was when the door creaked open. "Scott, is everything okay in…"

The entire room went quiet again as the three teenagers found themselves looking at an older woman with curly, black hair looking positively worn in her pink and flower print scrubs. Although, now she looked every bit as uncomfortable as Maddie felt. Grasping at straws, the slayer took a breath and waved. "Hi, um…you must be Scott's mom!"

"Is it that obvious?" she said, her voice flat before she managed an amused smile. Maddie, though, took an extra moment realize she'd been joking and forced her own smile.

Scott stood up quickly as if he was preparing to be busted for something. "Hey, mom! This is my, um…new friend. Maddie."

Scott's mother gave a slight wave to the girl. "It's nice to meet you, Maddie." She looked between the teenage girl and Stiles. "Am I interrupting something?"

In that instant, out of her peripheral, Maddie noticed Stiles take a side step away from her. "What?" She quickly glanced over, noticing that if it hadn't been for Stiles, they would still be stand precariously close together. Her eyes widened in horror for the second time that night as she looked back at the woman in the doorway. "No!"

Scott's mom raised her eyebrows and nodded slowly. "Well then, school night or not, it's getting late."

Scott gave an understanding nod. "Right." Both Maddie and Stiles seemed to get the hint moved towards the hallway. "Tomorrow, you guys?"

They both stopped for a second and it took Stiles a moment to respond. "Right! Yeah. Tomorrow." He turned to Maddie, giving her an overly expressive, expectant look. Silently, Maddie struggled to smile widely and nod. The two mumbled goodnights to both McCalls and promptly headed out.

As the front door shut behind them, they walked out into the dark driveway. "That couldn't have looked worse if we tried," Stiles grumbled.

"_Gods_, I didn't know we were standing that close!" came Maddie's harsh whisper.

"Not that," Stiles said. He paused. "Okay, yeah, that too. But-" He stopped himself and turned to her with a curious stare. "Did you just say 'gods'? As in plural?"

Maddie groaned and continued towards the jeep.

"_Are_ there, like…multiple gods? Is that an actual thing?" He opened the driver side door of his car and hopped in.

The slayer opened the passenger side door and heaved herself in, shutting the door behind her. "Stiles, I just want to go home."

"Hey, remember when you _punched_ me?" He closed his own door and revved the engine. "I think this is more than a fair trade. A ride home for a random monster-hunter-slayer-whatever fact. If anything, I'm getting shorted."

Her dark eyes narrowed on him. "Then I'll walk."

"You're already in the car, just accept the damn ride." He began backing out onto the street. "It won't kill you."

She continued to glare at him for a few seconds more before begrudgingly buckling her seatbelt in acceptance.

As they drove down the street in silence once more, all Maddie could think of was how badly she messed up tonight. She only narrowly escaped the Alpha and now her identity was out – and that wasn't even counting the awful insinuations made by both Allison and Scott's mother. She was absolutely sure that there was no way any of this could possibly end well for any of them – and that was now on her.

"So about that polytheism thing."

She groaned again.

* * *

**A/N: Here's chapter eleven! It made me a little sad to see the lack of feedback from chapter ten with all the action happening but I digress. I do, on the other hand, appreciate the reviews from my regular reviewers! Thank you so much! I really do hope you all like the fic!**


	13. Chapter Twelve: Good & Evil

**Chapter Twelve: Good &amp; Evil**

* * *

_I feel like I need to get a few things straight._

_Number one: Scott and Stiles were **not** my friends._

_Number two: I didn't **want** any friends._

_Number three: Something inside me was compelled to keep Scott's secret from the Argents for a little longer._

* * *

_Knock, knock, knock._

"Mrmph," Maddie grumbled and rolled over, squeezing her pillow tighter and scowling in her sleep.

A minute passed. _Knock, knock, knock, knock._

The slayer groaned and drowsily shook her head, eyes still closed. "…pr'tect the king…" she slurred, still unconscious. Her voice got louder as she began mumbling again. "…don't let the moths in…!"

_KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK._ "Maddie!"

Her eye cracked open, working hard to focus. As the door came into view, she heard the distinct sound of voices outside – annoyed voices at that. Her mouth stretched open in a yawn as she slowly sat up and cracked her neck. Again there was a loud knock at the door. She huffed and shouted back, "Hold on!"

As her feet met with the old carpet, she adjusted her gray pajama pants and navy tank top discreetly. She imagined this did nothing to fix the state of her bed hair or dark circles but didn't seem to care as she opened the door. On the other side, she found a very impatient Stiles and curious-looking Scott. She gave them both a flat stare. "What?"

"We agreed to meet up today, remember?" Stiles asked, rolling his eyes.

Without missing a beat, Scott added, "You live in a motel room?"

"One: I didn't think you were serious," she said, moving her eyes from Stiles to Scott. "Two: Yes. Now go away."

She was about to close the door when Scott stopped her with his foot. "We need your help."

Maddie put in some serious thought about attempting to crush his foot to close the door but, after a few more seconds, her better judgment seemed to stop her. She wasn't here to help them – if anything, she still had to report in that she found the two betas. She didn't have time for this. "…With what?"

The boys exchanged worried glance before Scott let out a sigh. "The Argents think someone else is a beta who _isn't_ a beta. They might be in trouble."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Who?"

"Just…get ready. We'll fill you in on the way," Stiles replied, looking a bit exasperated.

Scott moved his foot away just in time for Maddie to slam the door shut. She sluggishly walked over to one of the drawers by the bed and was about to pull out some fresh clothes when her phone buzzed and flickered to life. She unplugged it from the charger and noted the name at the top of the screen. After reading the short message, her eyes widened and she threw the phone on the bed. She had to get ready quickly, she decided. It was more important to go with the two boys than ever.

On the bed, before the backlight flicked off again, the message read:

**Chris Argent:** _PRIORITY – Might have lead on beta. Follow Jackson Whittemore._ **[Sat 10:03 AM]**

* * *

"So…you're like a mercenary," Scott said slowly from the front passenger side seat of the blue jeep.

Maddie sat in the back, willing herself to wake up more. It hadn't taken her too terribly long to get ready and out the door, to be honest. She now spent most of the ride listening to the boys and picking at a hole in her favorite blue jeans. She had already resolved that she was here on the Argent family's orders, not to help the two in front of her. She wasn't even sure if she could trust them yet. At Scott's assumption, she shook her head and tried not to sound too offended. "We're not even _close_ to mercenaries."

"But you were hired by the Argents to kill the Alpha," Stiles cut in, turning another corner.

"We were asked to help; we aren't _hired_ for anything," Maddie argued, absentmindedly examining her pulled back hair in the window's reflection before turning her attention back to Stiles. "Hunters and slayers go back a long way."

Off their confused looks, the slayer fought back the urge to roll her eyes. Scott thought for a moment before opening his mouth again. "What _is_ a slayer anyway?"

Stiles glanced at her in the rear view mirror. "Yeah, I tried looking it up last night and all I got was Van Helsing and a bunch of girls being put in mental wards for claiming they were monster hunters. Some went as far back as the nineteenth century. So, spill the beans."

A grim laugh escaped Maddie. "Fine then. It's not going to sound any more sane, though." She took a moment to debate when to start, taking a breath. "In the very beginning, demons overrun the earth. So these shamans decided they needed a protector. They found a girl, chained her to the earth, and infused her with a demon."

"_Demons_?" Scott turned around and gave her a shocked stare. "_Demons_?!"

"_Anyway_," she went on as Scott turned back around, "since then, every generation has had a slayer. They have enhanced strength, speed, agility, and senses. And, well...they fight evil, protect people. It's been that way for centuries, maybe more. Then, a few years back, things got bad. Something was trying to kill off the entire slayer line before they were called. So the vampire slayer at the time got a witch-"

"You've got to be kidding," Stiles muttered. "Witches? As in magic and wands and brooms?"

"_Not _Harry Potter witches," she replied, annoyance rising in her tone. "Like I was saying, she got a witch to do a spell to awaken all the slayers at once. We all inherited our powers at once and they found us."

Scott hesitated before replying. "…how long ago was that?"

"Eight years." Maddie looked away, out the window. She never liked thinking about that day; she wouldn't wish that experience on her worst enemy. "So, after they found us, we eventually went to a facility to begin training."

The beta wolf glances back for a second. "Wait, what about your family?"

Maddie didn't look away from the window, a strange emptiness in her dark eyes. "Let's just find Jackson."

"I think we just did," Stiles responded after a beat. "And we've got company."

Maddie raised her stare to the windshield and her eyes widened. In the distance, were two figures, a Porsche and a familiar SUV. "…Allison's dad."

"Okay, okay…we just gotta act casual." Scott glanced once more back at Maddie. "You know...normal."

"Alright, _why_ exactly did you look at me?" she snapped, this time definitely offended. "Besides, he knows I'm tailing Jackson – he _told _me to. If anything, you two should follow _my_ lead for once."

The werewolf's brow furrowed and he frowned slightly. "How did you want us to do that?"

"By acting like you don't know what the hell I am. Play dumb," she continued just before the jeep stopped beside Jackson and Chris, a few feet away. Maddie took breath and poked her head through the front seats to look out the window with a wide smile. "Hey!"

"Yo," Scott managed to say, barely hiding his nervousness.

"Sup!" Needless to say, Stiles laid it on a bit thick but it was an improvement.

Scott's eyes were on Jackson when he added, "Everything okay?"

The smile on Chris Argent's face certainly caused the girl quite a bit of suspicion as it contrasted quite a bit with the fear etched on Jackson's face. Without missing a beat, Chris spoke. "Hey, Scott." He nodded to the slayer. "Maddie." He glanced then at Jackson and back at the teens in the car. "Your friend here was having car trouble. We're just taking a look."

"Ah," was Stiles only reply.

Maddie feigned a mildly – and almost mockingly – awestruck expression. "Hope it's not _too_ bad."

"There's a shop right down the street; I'm sure they have a tow truck," Scott added with a bit of concern.

"Yeah, you want a ride?" Stiles asked, nodding to Jackson. Scott opened his door silently as his friend went on. "Hey, c'mon Jackson – you're way too pretty to be out here all by yourself."

There was a tense silence for a moment before Jackson nodded and began to make his way over. Meanwhile, Maddie found herself watching the older man examine the engine – if that really was what he was doing. Scott unfortunately blocked her view as he got out to let Jackson in. Just as Jackson was about to though, Chris shouted over, "Hey, kids."

They all stopped and looked over to see the eldest Argent reach through the driver's window and start the car with no problem at all. Chris smiled slowly and just as suspiciously. "Told you I knew a few things about cars."

He then walked away without another word. Maddie, who had been in the process of pulling out her phone, quietly sent a text.

_I'll keep an eye on him._ **[Sat 11:48 AM]**

After Stiles exited the car, Maddie followed in suit and hurried to the other side.

Jackson turned his attention back to Scott, now indignant. "What, are you following me now?"

"Yes, you stupid freaking idiot. You almost gave away everything right there!" Scott shouted at the boy.

Clearly confused, Jackson asked, "What are you talking about?"

Scott's rage continued to boil over. "He thinks you're the second beta!"

"What?" Jackson asked.

"He thinks you're me!" In that instant, Scott slammed his fist down on the hood of the jeep in sheer anger.

Stiles motioned to the car, visibly worried. "Dude, my jeep…"

"So, he's not another beta?" Maddie cut in, looking at Scott and pointing to Jackson. The deadpan look from Scott seemed to answer the question and the slayer nodded, giving a thumbs up. "Good."

"I can hear your heart beating from a mile away - literally!" Scott started up again with attention back on Jackson. "Now he thinks that there's something wrong, and now I have to keep an eye on you so he doesn't kill you too!"

Scott was about to hit the car again when Stiles grabbed his arm to stop him. "Okay, how about we step away from Stiles' Jeep?"

Jackson proceeded to get in Scott's face, his own anger boiling up in his glare. "This is _your_ problem, not mine, okay? I didn't say anything, which means _you're_ the one that's gonna get _me_ killed. Okay, this is your fault!" He pushed Scott into the jeep roughly and Maddie's hand twitched at her side.

"Can we stop hitting my jeep?" Stiles asked, exasperated. Both Jackson and Scott motioned to start fighting when Stiles beat Maddie to the punch and stepped in between them. "Yo, alright, yo, guys, stop. Alright?"

"When they come after you, I won't be able to protect you!" Scott yelled at Jackson. He withdrew a bit, his expression holding a hint of guilt as he looked at Stiles. "I can't protect anyone."

That was it. Maddie's expression had, in that one sentence, turned into surprise. It wasn't that she thought Scott was evil – clearly, but what she did know was the look on his face. It was familiar. She had seen it so many times from…it didn't matter. What mattered was that this wolf had shown more compassion than the people she was helping, sans Allison. Hell, he saved her life.

Stiles also noted the Scott's look, something dawning on him. "…Wait, why are you looking at me?"

Scott withdrew his worried gaze and looked back at Jackson, who was already ready with his rebuttal. "You know, now you have to do it. _Get me what I want_, and I will be fine protecting myself."

"No, it won't!" Scott snapped at the other boy, his eyes pleading with Jackson now. "Just trust me – all it does is make things worse!"

"Oh yeah, really?" Jackson sneered, the envy growing in her voice. "You can hear anything you want and run faster than humanly possible. Sounds like a _real_ hardship, McCall."

"Yeah, I can run really fast now - except half the time, I'm running away from people trying to kill me!" Scott shouted again, his tone pained as he went on. "And I can hear things like - like my girlfriend telling people that she doesn't trust me anymore right before breaking up with me. I'm not lying to you! It _ruins_ your life."

It was like a punch to the gut – like someone put into words something that Madeline had buried a long time ago. She wanted to go; she wanted to run away. Her thoughts were turning on her, yelling at her for planning on telling the Argents – people who looked at her like a wild animal – about Scott. It was too confusing and she needed to think clearly, to gain control over the situation again.

"It ruined your life," Jackson shot back with a glare. She could hear it in his tone – the same thing she heard from the girls who spiraled out of control…that had to be dealt with. It made her sick to think about. This was too much. "You had all the power in the world, and you didn't know what to do with it. You know what it's actually like? It's like you turned 16 and someone bought you a Porsche when they should have started you out with a nice little Honda. Me?" His eyes narrowed. "I drive a Porsche."

He began walking away and Maddie moved forward to go after him when a hand grabbed her arm. She whipped around to see Scott with a somber look in his eyes which made her own soften a bit. "Let him go."

And – strangely enough – she did.

* * *

"This isn't supposed to happen!" she shouted into the phone – more accurately, Xander on the other side of the phone. The day had ended and the sun had set, which typically meant patrolling. "I mean, I'm here to capture them and question them, not help them!"

**"Well, let's look at this objectively,"** her Watcher began, sounding almost amused. **"You questioned this Scott kid, right?"**

"Yes!" she bit back.

Xander held back a laugh. **"Okay, and did you get the info you needed."**

She frowned as she continued down the dark street, hoping she was headed the right way. "…Yeah. But I didn't even give it to the Argents! I mean-"

**"Did the mission statement say 'give the info to the Argents'?"** he asked, cutting her off.

As she turned the corner, she hesitated before answering. "…No."

**"And are you still after the crazy Alpha and the other beta?"** he went on, the tone of his voice almost giving away the answer.

She sighed loudly. "Yes."

**"Then no harm, no foul."** She couldn't help but be rather annoyed with the fact that he was trying to comfort her – or that it was working. She stayed silent as the man went on. "**Take it from someone who's been friends with a werewolf – if helping him feels like the right thing to do, then we're all behind you."**

"I just…I don't know yet," she mumbled, eyeing the house number coming up on her left. "What if it blows up in my face?"

Xander laughed quietly. **"That's what we like to call 'on the job learning'. We'll talk about it if we get there."**

"_Learning_…? If I screw up, people could die!" she said, her tone harsh.

There was a long pause as Maddie made her way up the porch steps. **"All I can tell you, Mads, is to trust your instincts. Do these kids seem evil?"**

"Well, maybe Jackson…" she muttered before cutting herself off. She took a deep breath. "No. No, they don't."

Xander's tone became warm. **"Then do what you were born to do: protect them from whatever's coming. It sounds like they could use a slayer on their side."**

"Yeah…" She found herself staring at the front door of a home that certainly was not as nice as the Argents'. "I gotta go, but…thanks." Her hand rose to the doorbell. "I think I made my decision."

**"What can I say? I'm a pro at this."** She could almost _hear_ the grin forming on his face and she shook her head. **"Talk to you later, kid."**

"Bye," she said quiet and hung up and in the same moment rang the doorbell. She could hear the footsteps on the other side after a few seconds and the door swung open.

Stiles nodded to her and stepped out of the way, an unreadable expression on his face. He sighed and closed the door. "Hi."

"Did I come at a bad time?" she asked, her tone conveying just how uncomfortable she was.

"Nah," he said, shaking his head. "We just gotta be quiet; my dad just went to bed."

Maddie nodded as Stiles began walking over toward the dining room. Laid out and scattered all over the table were folders and papers. Her eyebrows rose in surprise. "Uh…so, did you find anything out?"

"Yeah." He scratched the back of his head and looked down at the papers. "The murders are connected. All the people Peter Hale's killed were connected to the Hale fire."

"There was a fire?" She gave him a confused look. He grabbed a piece of paper from the table and handed it to her. Her eyes scanned over it as it listed the crime and the dead. Her insides coiled and a bitter laugh escaped her. "They never even told me."

"Who?" Stiles replied, confused.

Maddie shot him a look. "Who do you think? The Argents." She looked down at the table again as she set down the file, then picking up a strange series of pictures. All that was identifiable were the man's clothes and hair, while his eyes seemed to have the same effect as headlights, covering up the rest of his face. The parts she did see were familiar. The sign he held did have a clear name. _Hale, D. _"Hale…Derek Hale." She looked up at Stiles. "The guy Scott blamed for the murders? He's…he's the beta who attacked me?"

Stiles' mouth hung open and he looked like he was about to say something but decided against it.

"Which means he's the same guy who showed up with you at the hospital and…" Her eyes widened as the piece continued to connect. "…he's the one working with Peter. They're _family_?!"

"Hey, quiet, remember?" He glared at her. "It's complicated."

She glowered at the boy. "Then _clear it up_, Stiles."

In that moment, a phone buzzed on the table. Stiles' eyes shot over to it and quickly grabbed it and answered it. "Scott?"

There was a pause as Scott spoke on the other line. Maddie found herself preoccupied with the graphic photos and files, listing the deceased. They're whole family…murdered. She couldn't even imagine it. In her experience, she learned that family wasn't exactly something she thought a lot about anymore. It was sad, sure, but she had learned to let that go but this… Were they a family of wolves? Was that it was that why they were killed? She didn't know, but she had quite a bit to talk to Chris Argent about.

"Okay, yeah, we're on our way," Stiles said before hanging up. He sounded hurried and it was enough to return Maddie's attention to him. "We gotta go."

He rushed down the hall quickly as the slayer watched. "What?! What's going on?"

"Peter's with Scott's mom!" He came stumbling back with his shoes on and a bag in his hands. Not just any bag though; it was her messenger bag. He handed it to her before rushed toward his keys. "You're gonna need that."

Her eyes were set ablaze with anger and disbelief. "_You_ had this? How long?!"

"We can talk about that on the way, okay?" he added, head towards the door.

"You are so _incredibly_ dead," she growled, following him.

He continued out the door with Maddie close behind. "Yeah, well, you can kill me _after_ we stop the Alpha."


	14. Chapter Thirteen: Smile

**Chapter Thirteen: Smile**

* * *

**Author's Note: Alrighty, people! We are nearing the end of season one! Just two more chapters. Enjoy!**

* * *

_"Why?"_

_"…let's just say if your react badly when you find out," Kate paused, shutting the heavy metal door that hid the captive wolf. "…not good."_

_Allison, keeping her stance stiff and her expression guarded, found her voice again with a clear tone of offense. "What do you mean not good?"_

_"They don't think that you can handle it." There was almost an air of amusement in the older hunter's tone as they began to walk down the dark, concrete corridor. "They look at you and they see this frightened little girl who's gonna run crying in the corner when she finds out the truth. Someone who needs to be guarded…watched even."_

_"What-…what are you talking about?!" Allison slowed her pace to a halt, her mind racing. "They wouldn't…!" Her voice trailed off as her stomach twisted in knots. Her parents…they wouldn't betray her confidence like that, would they? She was finding it hard to believe that already. The pain and the anger reached her eyes as she looked up at her aunt who had also stopped. "…Watched?"_

_There was something sympathetic in Kate own gaze as she put a hand on Allison's shoulder gently. "Sweetie," she began, her voice softer. "Think about the last few weeks. There can be only so many coincidences before you gotta start wondering about some people."_

_Allison's brown eyes held a questioning stare as she searched through her memory._

_**"I just...have a really weird family."**_

_**"Allison! It's not safe here! You need to get out! Now!"**_

_**"...I think I just hit my shoulder in the doorway when we came in."**_

_**"Seems like your new friend has a good head on her shoulders. Maybe you should listen to her next time."**_

_**"Do you always walk around schools at night? Weird habit, don'tcha think?"**_

_She was beginning to feel sick as she stood there, thinking about each moment over and over. Kate had already started moving again and speaking, causing Allison to snap back to reality and catch up. "Me - what I see - Natural talent." She turned to her niece again, her eyes thoughtful although there was still something unreadable in them. "Allison, you said you wanted to feel more powerful, right?" Allison took a moment before she nodded vaguely. "Now's your chance."_

_They began walking again and the unease swarming through Allison's every nerve forced her to find her voice again. "What am I supposed to do now?"_

_Even Kate's gait seemed nonchalant as she led her niece to the entrance they had taken before. "Go to school, do your homework. Go to the Formal on Friday night. Be a normal teenage girl who doesn't know anything. Trust me to get everything ready for the next part."_

_If Allison wasn't unsettled before, she certainly was now. She didn't want to be involved in any next part, but…something inside of her, something she didn't recognize, forced her response out. "What's the next part?"_

_Kate stopped and smiled at her, as if expecting the question. "You're gonna help me catch the second beta."_

_The youngest Argent felt her blood turn to ice in her veins._

* * *

The rest of the weekend had come and gone quickly after the close call on Saturday. It severely frustrated Madeline that the most she could do in front of Scott's mom was glare threateningly at the Alpha – something that seemed to amuse him. She hadn't even caught where Scott had gone after that until he contacted her late on Sunday – which led to an angry phone about not running head on into trouble on his own.

Although, it was becoming apparent that she couldn't help anyone. Allison hadn't left the house on Sunday according to her father and Maddie couldn't seem to get in contact with her. No calls, no texts, nothing. She was beginning to think Allison was avoiding her, but she couldn't imagine why. Things had been going smoothly since the debacle at the school on her first day. It had been weeks since then and they seemed to be getting along swimmingly. She couldn't help but wonder though…

Monday was already drawing to an end when she passed a very nervous – or maybe frightened? - and sweaty Jackson talking animatedly to Allison. The young Argent caught sight of the slayer as she passed but quickly turned her attention back to Jackson when Maddie waved. She frowned and furrowed her eyebrows. Something was certainly up. Maddie had even spoken to Lydia more today – amiably, even. Of course, it was mostly because the petite brunette had actually worn the outfit picked out for her the previous Friday, to the strawberry blonde's delight.

_"See? You look great!"_

_"I feel stupid."_

_"Now if you just lighten up on the makeup…"_

_"You are **not** touching my makeup!"_

Unfortunately, Lydia had much less invited Maddie to go shopping that afternoon and more accurately told her she was. Maddie, on the other hand, fought it until being informed that Allison was also going. She still had her mission and if that meant putting up with more shopping, then so be it.

The slayer sighed and spotted Scott and Stiles peeking around the corner, watching Allison. _At least I'm a little more subtle about it._

"Hey, don't worry. I'll still be there," she heard Stiles say.

As Maddie walked up to them, hands stuffed in the pockets of her new leather jacket, and raised an eyebrow at the boys. "Be where?"

Scott, looking gloomier than expected glanced at the girl. "The formal."

"The what?" She tilted her head to the side slightly and squinted, as if he had been speaking another language.

"The _formal_," Stiles repeated, sounding a bit exasperated. At her continued blank expression, he rolled his eyes. "A dance in formal wear. You _do_ know what a dance is, right?"

She glared at the boy, folding her arms. "I _know_ what a dance is." The slayer grimaced as she thought it over. "Formal wear? Like, fancy dresses?" They nodded silently and she wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Lame." Finally she sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "I guess I'll go."

"Wh- what do you mean you'll _go_?" Stiles gave her an incredulous look. "You can't just _go_."

"He's right. You kinda need a ticket to get in," Scott said, disheartened. Stiles nodded animatedly and pointed to Scott as if to agree.

Maddie studied the two for a moment before spinning around, searching the hall. The boys looked at each other and then back to her in sheer confusion. Stiles narrowed his eyes on her suspiciously. "What are you doing?"

"Finding a ticket," was the simple answer she gave before her eyes stopped on someone. In the distance she spotted a boy, but not just any boy. It was one of the boy who had been picking on that girl the week before. _Erica, right?_ Not only that but she noted it was the tinier, pretty one that came on to her – the one who she took down first. He was idly chatting with a girl, all the while paying more attention to his phone. That was when Maddie finally whipped back around, the ghost of a smile on her lips as she held up her index finger. "Give me a sec."

"That- that is _not_ how you find a ticket!" Stiles called after her in a hushed voice. As she walked away, both boys found themselves giving worried glances. "Am I the only one that gets this _sinking_ feeling when she smiles?" Stiles remarked, folding his arms. "Like something _bad's_ gonna happen?"

Scott slowly shook his head. "…no."

"Good," Stiles replied with a short nod.

They watched as the boy jumped when he saw her and how the girl seemed utterly confused. From a distance, it seemed like they were merely chatting, although the boy – another lacrosse player named Aaron – looked a lot like Jackson did moments ago. Nervous. Frightened. For a moment, it looked as if there would be an argument but after another few seconds, Aaron's eyes widened and he fervently nodded. Digging through his bag, he handed her the ticket and Maddie's smile widened slightly.

She strode back over, a bit more swagger in her step as she held out the ticket for the two to see. Both looked utterly astonished when Stiles spoke up. "What did you just do?"

"Not much," she said with a shrug. "He had a debt to repay. I was collecting."

Still surprised, Scott let out a laugh in disbelief. Stiles, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes on her as his mouth hung open for a second. "…You frighten me."

Maddie rolled her eyes and tucked away the paper in her jacket. "So, what 'doomed to fail' plan do you two have this time?"

* * *

There was no way Maddie could've felt any more awkward about her current predicament. Allison was certainly making it difficult to keep an eye on her thus far. As the afternoon progressed, the slayer had to ride with Lydia to the mall, fail at making small talk, and since entering Macy's , resigned to keeping in the background. It was almost infuriating but what was even more difficult was not knowing how to fix it.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Maddie caught Lydia say, "You could smile, at least – both of you. Ever heard of the saying, 'never frown. Someone could be falling in love with your smile'? Smile, girls." She nudged the taller brunette. "Especially you, Allison. I'm buying you a dress."

"I have to admit, as far as apologies go, that's more than I expected," Allison replied, her tone lightening a fraction.

Lydia, looking moderately accomplished, gave a nod. "Excellent."

Allison, now smiling, looked at her friend in smug satisfaction. "…but not as much as I'm going to ask."

"What? What's that supposed to mean?" Lydia shot the girl a look and even Maddie seemed a bit surprised.

"It means you're going to cancel on whatever dumb, 'roided-up jock you said yes to and you're going to go with somebody else." As Allison said this, the slayer found it a bit ironic, as she learned only moments ago in the car that Lydia's date – who was indeed a dumb, roided-up jock – had canceled on her because he 'sold his ticket' just this afternoon and 'dances were boring anyway'.

Lydia, who was certainly not going to reveal this anyway, was looking more worried by the second. "Who?"

As they stepped off the escalator, Allison turned to her left and the other two girls followed her gaze. "Him."

Several feet away, standing at one of the glass counters, was Stiles, examining a bottle of perfume closely before spraying it in his own face. He flailed a bit and sneezed a few times before setting it down and looking around, probably to make sure no one saw that.

Lydia looked mortified as Allison's smug smile grew, whereas Maddie was fighting back laughter at the thought of the Lydia and her new date. This didn't last long at all and soon the petite brunette found herself laughing out loud hysterically. The strawberry blonde whipped her head around to glare at the slayer. Maddie finally began to call down, although her sides hurt, and caught the glare. "W-what? I'm smiling!"

Allison, who seemed rather pleased with herself as her friend turned back to the boy with an uneasy glance, added, "Don't frown, Lydia. Someone could be falling in love with your smile."

Stiles turned to them and immediately noticed Lydia. He gave a goofy smile and a wave.

Maddie was still trying to control her laughter in the background.

* * *

"You're not wearing black," Lydia chastised Maddie for the fifth time as Stiles followed the two with a pile of dresses.

Maddie, of course, was carrying her own selections – all of which were black. Her eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "What? Why not?"

"Because you'll look like you're going to a funeral in that." She pointed to the dress Maddie had just picked up.

The slayer shrugged. "Then it has a dual purpose."

Lydia took the dress from her and put it back on the rack. "I _refuse_ to put all this work in for nothing. Choose a color."

"Fine!" Maddie replied, her annoyance seeping into her tone. She, without hesitation, grabbed for a dress on the same rack. "Red."

Lydia raised an eyebrow as she threw another dress into the pile that Stiles was carrying. "And why red?"

Without even a twitch of a smile, she deadpanned, "It's functional." She grabbed another red dress, not even bothering to examine it. "Just in case I need it to blend in with the blood of my enemies."

Before her were two very different reactions to her comment. Stiles was gaping at her with wide, horrified eyes while Lydia rolled her own hazel eyes and sighed as she moved on. "I just don't get your sense of humor."

She added another dress to the pile, causing Stiles to speak up. "Oh - okay, so are you just gonna - try these on right now? All of them? Is this a 24 - hour Macy's?" He began to follow Lydia before stopping by Maddie. "Next time just get a giant neon sign that says 'I'm a vampire slayer' if you want to let the whole freaking town know."

"It wasn't the whole town; it was Lydia," Maddie replied, her tone light and airy. "And she thought it was a joke anyway. Calm down."

Stiles adjusted his grip on the plethora of formal wear he was carrying. "Yeah, well, you know what tact is? Learn it, live it – "

"Hold on." Maddie's attention had left the boy. Her head perked up as her senses began to go haywire. Something was there – something powerful. She closed her eyes for a moment, focusing every conscious thought on her surroundings. Her eyes snapped back open. "He's here."

"Who? Who's here?" Stiles' head darted around.

"The Alpha. How close by is Scott?" Maddie's gaze shot over to the boy.

Still confused to an extent, Stiles managed to say, "Close. What, so is this another slayer thing? Spidey senses?"

"Er, yeah. Just…go catch up to Lydia. I gotta check on Allison." Maddie, without a look back rushed away through the racks and people.

**"Attention shoppers. To the owner of a blue Mazda, license plate –"**

"Did she just say a blue Mazda?"

**"- 5768. Your car is being towed –"**

"Oh! That's my car."

As she caught the voices, Maddie watched as Allison rushed away, leaving Peter standing alone. "I have to say, Scott, I continue to be impressed with your ingenuity. Just remember - You can't be everywhere all the time."

The slayer stood behind him, watching him like a caged animal. "Good thing it's not just him."

"Good thing?" Peter slowly turned around, a smile spreading across his face. He eyed her closely, carefully. He stepped toward her, an almost predatory stare drilling through her. "Well, maybe for me. Two birds, one stone – you understand of course. Your kind happen to be _the_ most infamous group of killers in history. Quite the title."

"The word is _slayer_, thank you." Her dark stare narrowed on him. "And I'm not in the mood for witty banter."

"Hm. Pity." He turned away and began to walk off. "I would stay and knock you off that pedestal but…let's save the fireworks for the big events."

She wanted to tackle him again, like the night in the school. She wanted it over. Her free hand clenched together in a tight fist.

"After all, there _is_ a dance coming."

* * *

**_Friday Night._**

Dress? Check.

Shoes? Check.

Kick ass leather jacket that she'll never admit to Lydia that she adores? Check.

Bag of weapons? Check.

"I look too made up," she whined over the phone. "Like, I don't know, a doll or something…"

**"You'll look gorgeous and I expect a _huge_ thank you,"** Lydia's voice came through the speaker of Maddie's phone. **"Did you get the manicure?"**

"Yes…" She fought not to pick at the red polish on her nails.

**"Pedicure?"**

She looked down through the lace of the black heels and moved her toes. "Yes."

**"Hair done?"**

"Yes, okay?!" Maddie flicked a large curl out of her line of sight before mumbling, "They're going to kill me when they see that bill…"

**"What?"**

"My, er, parents! They don't know how much I spent," she managed to half-lie. She looked in the mirror, marveling at her makeup and checking for any lipstick on her teeth. She didn't really like it – for her, at least. Sure, she looked nice, but there was an air of authority in looking intimidating instead. She heaved a sigh. _It's just one night._

**"They gave you your own card; they should _expect_ it. I mean, come on - you're a _teenage girl_."**

She flashed an astonished look over to the phone, as if Lydia could see it. "What's it like to live in your world?"

**"You're about to find out."**

The slayer quickly put in her silver dangling earrings and adjusted her silver cross necklace. "Right. Meet you there."

**"I'm still not hearing a thank you, Madeline."**

"Thank you," Maddie labored out.

**"Or if you're _really_ grateful, you'll switch dates with me."**

There was a short pause as the brunette blinked. "But…I'm not going with anyone."

**"My point exactly."**

"You'll be fine." Maddie rolled her eyes. "Just suck it up and deal with it. It's just one night." She grimaced as the sentence left her lips. "Besides, it's just _Stiles_. What's the harm?"

She heard Lydia sigh rather dramatically and a murmur of a voice in the background. **"Well, hurry up and get to the school. I expect to see my job well done very soon."**

"Yeah, yeah. Sure thing." The slayer exhaled loudly as the line went dead. She smoothed out the material of her dress and found herself to be very grateful for the close proximity of the motel and the school.

She quickly threw on her leather jacket and grabbed her messenger bag, wondering whether her oncoming nerve were because this was her first dance or because of what Peter had said earlier that week. As she reached the door of the room, she took a deep breath and opened it.

"Hmph. Time for some fireworks."


	15. Chapter Fourteen: Fireworks

**Chapter Fourteen: Fireworks**

* * *

_Author's Note: And here we are... Let me tell you a thing - this was not easy to write up! That being said, this is the most excitement in one chapter. A little fluff, a little comedy, and whole lot of action! Anyway, I bring you part one of the two part Act One finale! Enjoy [and leave me some love if you enjoyed it]!_

* * *

Yes, Madeline knew what a dance was – as she had previous explained to Stiles.

No, she had in fact never been to one.

As she walked into the gym she gawked at the decorated room. Pastel streamers were strewn all over the place and colored lights danced along the walls and floors as music pulsed from the large speakers. Her dark brown eyes floated over the students as she walked further into the room, trying to find someone she recognized. If she was lucky, it'd be Allison considering the imminent threat; if she wasn't so lucky… her eyes fell on a figure moving along the side of the bleachers. Her brows furrowed and she carefully made her way over.

As she got closer though, her guard lowered. There was Scott, crouched and feebly hiding along the wooden seats. He spotted her and gave a nod which she returned before continuing through the crowd. It wasn't long before she spotted more people she knew of course. Sitting at a table at the edge of the crowd were the bored figures of Lydia and Stiles. She took a deep breath in and strode over to them, plopping her bag down in an empty seat.

This seemed to call their attention and she gave a thin smile as she set her jacket down on the back of the chair. Lydia looked positively smug upon seeing her while Stiles gave the impression that he was still processing what he was seeing as he gaped at her. She ignored both reactions for the time being though. "Aren't you people supposed to have fun at these things?"

"It's about time," Lydia chided the girl but looked absolutely relieved. She analyzed Maddie carefully. "Spin."

The slayer folded her arms and snorted a laugh. "I am _not_ spinning."

The look Lydia gave her seemed to say differently of course. Eight years of training with someone of the strongest women on earth and she seemed to give into Lydia's ridiculous requests time and time again. She didn't even know why most of the time. Maybe she actually enjoyed hanging out with her – which was saying a lot since they never did anything Maddie liked. With that she huffed and did a full 360 degree turn, feeling rather foolish after wards. Lydia, pleased with herself, beamed at the girl. "See? You look amazing." She turned to Stiles. "Doesn't she look amazing?"

"Uh…" Stiles' eyes widened at Lydia and then at Maddie. He cleared his throat before finally speaking again. "Psht, yeah! You, uh…you look…y'know...what she said."

Lydia rolled her eyes at the response and Maddie gave a stiff nod before sitting down. The slayer turned to the other girl. "Have you seen Allison yet?"

This did not seem to give a good reaction. Lydia's eyes darted over to Maddie, wide and guarded. "She's somewhere in here with Jackson, I assume."

"Ah," was Maddie's only response, deciding to drop the subject altogether.

This was going to be a long night.

* * *

And it was. It couldn't have been more than forty minutes and at least fifteen ago, Stiles and Lydia had left to dance. It had been an interesting exchange to say the least. In fact, it was almost sweet. This was of course followed by a near capture of Scott by Coach Finstock. The hijinks were entertaining for a time, but as the slayer watched the couple on the floor, even she had a sinking feeling. It was one she hadn't felt in quite a while and it was hardly noticeable at the moment – but it was there. _Envy_. Everyone was on the floor dancing now as she sipped her punch – which tasted funny to begin with.

As she pushed it away, she noticed Lydia zoom by the table and out of the gym. She turned around to find Stiles slowly walking back to the table and slumping down into a chair. Maddie raised an eyebrow at the boy. "Where's she headed?"

He was staring a hole through the table but seemed to catch the question and exhaled loudly. "To find Jackson."

She nodded vaguely. "Right."

Minutes passed in silence as the music slowed. It was then a boy with blond hair stumbled over to the table – more specifically to Maddie's side. He was sweaty and wore a giant grin as he leered at her. "Hey, baby. Wanna dance?"

Maddie blinked once, her expression unchanging. "No."

"Come _on. _Loosen up," he drawled, his bright blue eyes moving down her form.

Feeling mildly irritated, the corners of her mouth tugged downward. "You're disgusting."

The boy was clearly intoxicated as he moved closer to her. "Pfft…the boys were right. You know, I heard you had this butch rep but I had no clue you were such a bi-"

"Hey." Stiles had stood up, to Maddie's horror. He walked over to the unknown boy, trying to look as intimidating as possible. "She said no, dude. Move on."

"Stiles, what the hell are you doing?" the slayer asked just loud enough to hear, the shock evident in her voice.

Both boys ignored it and the drunk one grinned. "Really, Stilinski?" Stiles didn't move or say anything; he simply continued to try and stare him down. The boy rolled his eyes. "Whatever, spaz. She wasn't worth it anyway."

He stumbled away, bumping into random people until he disappeared. Once he was out of sight, Stiles meandered back to his seat, all the while Maddie stared at him in disbelief. It took him another second to realize this as he looked over at her with a blank expression. "What?"

"…why did you do that?" She looked at him as if she were trying to solve a particularly difficult puzzle.

He shrugged. "He was making an ass out of himself and you looked annoyed. I thought I'd help."

There was a long pause. "…I could've handled it."

"Fair enough," he said with a nod. "Next time I'll let you knock him out and reveal your secret identity to a room full of people."

Part of her wanted to argue with him more, but she decided against it. "…thanks, I guess."

"No problem." There was an air of sarcasm in his tone – as if that was a surprise – but for a second, he almost seemed sincere. A strangely comfortable silence enveloped the two as Maddie checked her phone and Stiles watched the door, presumably for Lydia to return. As the slayer sighed and scrolled through her contacts, debating whether or not to check in with HQ to pass the time, Stiles threw her a sideways glance. There seemed to be a moment of debate in his head as he tapped his fingers on the table to the beat of the song playing. He opened his mouth to speak once or twice but shut it again, veering his attention back to the door. Another minute passed when the boy found his voice again. "She was right, by the way."

Maddie's head perked up when he spoke and she turned to him, raising an eyebrow. "What?"

"I'm not exactly a fashion expert like Lydia but you, uh…" His light brown eyes darted from her to the crowd. "You look nice."

There weren't many things in Maddie's life that surprised her anymore. There was even a point when she was sure no one – no human being, at least - could get an edge on her. Yet, here she was, mouth slightly hung open, staring at Stiles as if he was missing his head. Another moment longer and a light, almost embarrassed laugh left her and she had on her face what could be interpreted as a half-smile. She looked down at her outfit once more before looking over at the boy again. "…Thanks, Stiles."

He gave his own half-hearted grin before they both returned their attention to the people dancing. Another prolonged silence filled the space between them until Stiles spoke up again. "You didn't want to…" As Maddie turned to him again, he nodded in the direction of the dance floor.

Maddie's eyes widened in horror and she fervently shook her head. "_No_, no, no…Not at all."

"Good," he said immediately and gave a nervous laugh. "Heh, dodged that bullet!"

Suddenly the silence had turned awkward around them and, after a full minute, the slayer stood. She gathered her bag and jacket, slipping it back on. "We should split up and look for Lydia."

"Yeah, yeah we should." Stiles quickly stood up as well and they both walked to the open gym doors. Just as they walked through them though, a disheveled figure stepped towards them. Now illuminated in the purple hue of the festive lights pouring out of the gymnasium, Jackson stood before them – _alone_. Stiles seemed particularly annoyed by this. "Where the hell have you been? Did Lydia ever find you?"

There was something suspiciously off about how Jackson carried himself. There was no air of drunkenness or even his usual arrogance. No, this Jackson was ever so slightly hunched over and his blue eyes held the slightest hint of worry. He released a breath, although it sounded a bit constricted – as if he couldn't think of what to say.

Although Maddie had an inkling where this was going, Stiles didn't seem to quite get it yet as he gave a confused shrug. "What? What's wrong?"

The boy struggled to speak. "I - I was out behind the school and I - I was - out –"

Stiles' eyes narrowed. "What happened?" Anger was becoming prevalent in both his and the girl's stares at the jock. "Jackson…what did you do?"

"We don't have time for this." Maddie's head whipped around, her eyes a mixture of rage and concern. "We need to find Lydia."

Stiles nodded, his glare still boring into Jackson's skull. "I'll check the field."

"Call if you find her. I'll make sure this one comes with me." In a flash, her hand gripped the lapel of Jackson's suit, pulling him down to eye level. "Before he causes any more trouble."

Without another word, they went their separate way, down opposite ends of the dark hallway. Maddie ignored Jackson's struggling and incessant whining as she shouted down the empty corridors for Lydia.

"A-are – are you like them?" Jackson managed out. He swallowed as she continued to drag him along. "A werewolf?"

She silently went on, out a pair of side doors into the cool night air.

"What are you?!" the boy shouted, his words coming out in a mixture of fear and slurring. "Say something!"

Something in the slayer snapped. With all of her strength, she threw Jackson into the side of the building, his back hitting the bricks roughly. As he slumped down to the ground and looked up at her, horrified, she sneered. "I am sick and tired of _answering to people_ in this god damn town! I don't owe you an explanation! I don't owe _you_ anything!" Jackson attempted to pick himself up but Maddie planted her heeled foot firmly on his chest and pushed him back down. "The only person who doesn't act suspicious around me is unfortunately has a soft spot for selfish morons – and because of that is somewhere out there alone. _In danger_. And we are going to find her – without another _syllable_ from you."

Before she could even move her foot, her phone buzzed urgently in her jacket pocket. She quickly pulled it out and pressed the large green 'answer' button on the touchscreen. "Did you find Lydia? Is she alright?"

"Y-you need to get to the lacrosse field now. She's hurt, Maddie."

Her throat tightened. "What do you mean she's hurt?!"

"The Alpha – he…he attacked her. Maddie, he bit her." There was a short break as if he was trying to catch his breath and Maddie felt her stomach drop. "Get here quick. Get her to the hospital."

"Right. We're coming." Without another word, she hung up and stuffed her phone in her pocket once more. She moved her foot and picked Jackson up with ease. "Call 911 - _now_."

And they were off.

* * *

Maddie had gone as fast as she possibly could while dragging Jackson behind her and feeling her phone go off several times in her pocket. He seemed to keep up a bit better, but that seemed like a fair reaction after their previous conversation. As they neared the field, illuminated by the surrounding lights, they both noted something in the center of it. On the ground was a person. The slayer, on instinct, let go of Jackson and ran the rest of the way over. There Lydia was, bloodied and unconscious – and Maddie had no idea what to do.

She was stock still - frozen in place as her heart beat quicker and louder, becoming deafening in her eardrums. This part was new. She had seen people hurt – even dead, but they had been slayers. They had been soldiers. Sometimes, they were even a random innocent her patrol group hadn't gotten to in time – but never this. Never someone who was more than a statistic. It sounded cold even to her, but it was the truth. She reached to perhaps stop the wound on the girl's side that was bleeding profusely but her hand stopped short of it. Madeline could help but find herself breathing more rapidly.

Jackson finally made his way closer, fear etched in his features. "Wh- What? Is she okay? Is she going to-"

He was promptly cut off by Maddie's fist crashing with his jaw. She didn't really know how hard she had hit him but it was enough to send him to the ground. As she started to speak, her voice came out low and dangerous. "You better _pray_ that she lives – because if she doesn't, you're going to need a _hell_ of a lot more than werewolf strength to stop me from coming after you."

For the fifth time, her phone buzzed. Her hand finally reached into her pocket and yanked it out, answering it when she saw the name. "What?!"

**"You're needed at the house. We have a problem."**

"Yeah, well, there's a dying girl outside of a high school that needs medical attention," she snapped at the eldest Argent. "That's more of a priority."

"I'll take her," Jackson managed to say weakly. There was still anger boiling over in Maddie's gaze but Jackson pulled himself to his feet, standing a considerable bit away from the brunette. "I swear to god, I'll get her right to the ambulance."

Maddie was about to argue it when Chris' voice cut her off.

**"Hayes, we know about Scott."**

She felt her chest tighten.

* * *

After begrudgingly leaving the scene and heading back to her motel room to change into normal street clothes, Maddie found herself at the Argent's doorstep in less than an hour. She'd left her bag in the room and opted for her favorite hand axe – although the most important thing on her was her phone. She wished someone would contact her to let her know what's going on. She still had no idea where Scott or Stiles went – and she felt that she would certainly need to contact them if the debriefing went like she knew it would.

The door opened and she was met with the cold stare of Allison's father. Her own expression seemed to match his though – full of suspicion and distrust. He let her in and the girl walked into the living room where Allison's mother, Victoria, stood. On the floor were broken shards of ceramic – a sign that did not bode well.

"Is Allison here?" Maddie asked distantly.

Victoria's stare hardened. "I hardly think that that's any of your business."

The slayer didn't bother to face the woman. Chris finally entered the room and stopped several feet from the teenager. His intent stare bore through her as he spoke. "Did you know that Scott McCall was one of the Betas?"

"Yes," Maddie answered, leaving no reservations in her tone. After the past week, she couldn't seem to care.

"How long?"

"Two weeks."

"**_How long were you planning on not informing us?_**" Victoria's voice boomed and echoed around the room.

The slayer finally met the woman's eye. "How long were _you two_ planning on not telling me about the Hale fire?!"

"We weren't even aware that it had _anything_ to do with the murders." Chris' voice got louder as well. "The fact of the matter is you work for us-"

"I DON'T WORK FOR _ANYONE_!" Maddie shouted, taking a threatening step towards the man. "I was chosen to protect the _innocent_, not who you deem worthy! _Nowhere_ in the Slayer lore or Watcher's Diaries does it say that we're hired help!" She pointed an accusing finger at Victoria. "So I'm not the old Council's lapdog," she continued, moving her narrowed eyes to Chris once again, "and I'm not your hit woman!"

"Is that why Allison knew we planted you?" Chris asked, his voice still accusatory but calmer. "Did you tell her something?"

"I didn't tell her anything. I don't know how she knows," Maddie said, her voice was low and shaky.

Victoria's stare flicked over to her husband. "…I told you. I said not to bring the Slayers into this and you did." The redheaded woman glowered at the teenage girl. "And she's been nothing but trouble from the start."

"I'm not here for your approval. I'm not even here to give you information." Maddie shrugged her shoulders and folded her arms. "I've fought the Alpha werewolf twice and I _intend_ on stopping him – which I'll do with or without you. Now, you can ask for my help or you can make the mistake of standing in my way. That's up to you. Either way, you're not going to stop me and you're not going to lay a hand on Scott McCall."

"Why are you so hell bent on protecting him?" Victoria spat out, her voice drenched in spite.

A bitter laugh escaped Maddie's lips. "Because he saved my life…" Her near black eyes slowly went from the floor to the woman. "…and you threatened it."

She strode past the Argents and made her way to the door. Her hand was barely touching the handle when she heard Chris call out to her. "…Wait." She stopped, although her hand didn't move until he spoke again. "We have a plan."


	16. Chapter Fifteen: Alpha

Vaguely, Madeline wondered how she got here.

Well, not here per se – as in not the hospital they recently arrived at. Chris Argent had driven there with her and three very large, dopey men. Alas, they weren't there for their intellect.

It was more existential. What she was wondering was how exactly she got here, to this moment. She assumed most teenagers had this crisis at some point, but probably not because they're actually super-human-monster-hunters that sometimes align themselves _with_ monsters. That'd be ridiculous.

Either way, it was a passing thought that slipped away from her as they made their way through the ER. Instead, she was plagued with several other thoughts:

_**1 –** Where the hell is Scott?_

_**2 –** Where the hell is Stiles?_

_**3 –** I should've punched Jackson harder. Much harder._

_** 4 –** I should've kept an eye on Lydia to begin with._

_**5 –** I hate this town._

The last thought that perturbed her was her vaguely wondering why the men she'd traveled with were now surrounding her. The only two explanations she could think of were that they were protecting her or keeping her under control – regardless of the reason, she felt like a caged animal. Maybe that's how they felt too. Were they trying to hold her captive? Was that part of the _brilliant_ plan? The tiniest flicker of menace lit in her stare as it focused on the graying man ahead of her.

She knew why they were here though and she wasn't looking forward to it. If anything, she knew what she had to do if she didn't agree with them on the on their means of getting what they needed. Her fingers smoothed over the cool metal of her hand axe idly.

Of course there was also the passing thought of, _Four of them and one of me. I can take them._

This line of thought didn't last long though – in fact, it came to a screeching halt at the mere sound of chatter in the distance. Not just any chatter…

"Alright, did you bring the Porsche?"

"Yeah."

"Good. I'll drive."

She shoved through the wall of men and found herself staring at the disheveled forms of Jackson and Stiles. Maddie stood next to Chris Argent, breathing to calm herself as the hunter's voice flooded the near-empty hall. "Boys." His tone was collected and suspiciously friendly, as was the pleasant smile on his face. His eyes told a different story entirely. "I was wondering if you could tell me where Scott McCall is."

This was a terrible plan. In fact, if anyone had answered her calls, this plan wouldn't exist. The two reactions to her presence there were expected. Jackson, with his purple and swollen jaw, conveyed an alarming amount of nerves surfacing. She couldn't say she wasn't satisfied with this reaction, to be fair. On the other hand, Stiles gave her a mildly shocked stare which withered into something almost accusatory. Chris snapped his fingers to regain the boys' attention.

Stone faced even through his obvious fear, Stiles answered, "Scott McCall…? Haven't seen him since the dance." The noise Chris made was nearly inaudible and held no inkling that the man believed the words her just heard. Stiles could even note that but didn't look away for an instant. "Jackson, you?"

Jackson's deer caught in the headlights expression was telling enough without his string of indiscernible sounds that would've formed words had he the courage to finish them.

Stiles sighed and muttered, "Oh, for the love of god…"

Chris gave a slight nod and the men behind him pushed past Maddie, grabbing the two teenage boys. Maddie's eyes widened and she marched in front of the eldest hunter. "What the hell are you doing?!"

"Getting information," Chris said. There wasn't the slightest bit of emotion in his voice and there was something dangerous about that.

"Not by beating up kids!"

"Huh. That bruise looks fresh on Jackson. How'd he get it?"

Maddie pursed her lips and glared.

"I'm guessing it wasn't for information either." Chris moved past her and into the abandoned room the boys had been thrown in. Maddie rushed in behind him, gripping her weapon so tightly that she could feel the grooves painfully indenting on her palm. As she entered, the graying Argent locked the door behind her and looked back at the boys. "Let's try this again. Where is Scott McCall?"

There was a thick silence that followed. Maddie turned her attention to the teenage boys. "Just tell them! I swear Scott will be okay."

Stiles gave her a hard, guarded look. "I. Don't. Know."

This response seemed to send Chris flying off the handle because he grabbed Stiles roughly and slammed him against the locked door. "Let me ask you a question, Stiles. Have you ever seen a rabid dog?"

Maddie had made the slightest move to pull them apart but stopped herself.

"No, but I'll put it on my to-do list if you just let me go," the snide comment escaped Stiles.

Chris' eyes were ablaze but his demeanor didn't seem to reflect that anger. "Well, I have. And the only thing I've ever been able to compare it to is seeing a friend of mine turn on a full moon. Do you wanna know what happened?"

"Not really. No offense to your storytelling skills."

"He tried to kill me, and I was forced to put a bullet in his head." Allison's father had gotten louder graudually as the veins in his neck protruded. "The whole while that he lay there dying, he was still trying to claw his way toward me, still trying to kill me, like it was the most important thing he could do with his last breath. Can you _imagine_ that?"

Stiles paused for only a moment. "…No. And it sounds like you need to be a little bit more select –"

Both of Chris' hands slammed against the wall on either side of Stiles' head. The hunter looked like he was about to throttle the boy before a hand yanked him away.

"Hey!" came Maddie's voice. She now stood between the two, her eyes appearing black in the darkness of the room as she glowered at Chris. "Back off."

"Thanks, Mads," Stiles breathed.

"Shut up, Stiles," Maddie said, as more of a knee-jerk reaction to anything he would say while she was busy.

Chris exhales a long, annoyed breath before his voice boom throughout the room. "Did Scott try to kill you on the full moon?! Did you have to lock him up?!"

"Yeah, I did. I had to handcuff him to a radiator. Why? Would you prefer I locked him in the basement and burned the whole house down around him?" There was still that damned air of defiance as Stiles spoke.

This seemed to get an entire different reaction from Chris. He seemed to actually try to calm himself down. "I hate to dispel a popular rumor, Stiles, but we never did that."

"Oh, right. Derek said you guys had a code. I guess no one ever breaks it."

"Never."

"What if someone does?" Stiles asked a bit ominously.

"Someone like who?"

"Your sister."

There was a pause but as Maddie turned to the Argent, she noticed the look on his face was concerned but not surprised. The slayer paled after another second.

_"Kate and Allison are on the road already."_

_…Allison._

* * *

It had been precisely seventeen minutes.

In that time, Chris had left the hospital and Maddie had followed much to his chagrin. A deafening argument had followed this and continued in the car for the entire ride. Although nothing at all was resolved, Maddie insisted that she go with him to the Hale house as back up, an idea he hated but had no time to refute. They found themselves walking quickly through the woods now in silence as Chris went on attentively and the slayer gripped her axe tightly.

This was only her second time that deep into the woods around Beacon Hills. She hadn't been this way at all though but found it familiar.

She quickly glanced up at the sky. The moon was neither full nor close but the trees and the dead leaves made an almost identical backdrop compared to her dream weeks ago. It made her uneasy as she thought back to the clawed hand that tightened around her throat and the voice – the low voice that told her that time was up. Her time? Maybe. It didn't matter so long as the Alpha went down with her.

The trees became sparse and she spotted something ahead. Three figures – two on the ground and one standing – were outside of a charred, decrepit house and the one stand was holding a something. They got closer and Kate came into view, holding a gun at Scott. Kate, who had diminished Allison's trust in Maddie, who looked at her in disgust the night of the dinner – this woman was about to kill a teenage boy. Maddie tried to rush forward but was stopped by Chris' hand put out in front of her. Instead, he got closer and took out his own gun but kept it at his side.

"Kate!" Chris called out as they neared the group. Allison and Scott, turned to them in shock and relief but Kate's expression showed nothing but annoyance. There was definite pain on the older hunter's face, as if the scene was the proof he needed but never wanted. "I know what you did. Put the gun down."

There was something familiar about this.

_"Oh god... what did you do?"_

"I did what I was told to do," she spat back.

_"...What I was **called** to do. What we were chosen for."_

_"They had souls, Marie! That is **not** what we do! This…this is murder!"_

Maddie shook the memory away violently, forcing herself back into the present as Chris spoke. "No one asked you to murder innocent people. There were _children_ in that house, ones who were human. Look what you're doing now. You're holding a gun at a sixteen year old boy with no proof he spilled human blood." His typically unfeeling blue eyes held concern as he watched his sister. "We go by the code - _Nous chassons ceux qui nous chassent."_

The slayer thought she heard Allison mutter something but didn't quite catch it. What she did catch, on the other hand, was Kate beginning to squeeze the trigger which caused Maddie to raise her axe in preparation for attack.

Chris seemed to note both actions and lifted his own gun, finger steady on the trigger. "Put the gun down…" He fired a shot, narrowly missing his sister and hitting the tree behind her. "…before I put you down."

Hesitantly, Kate lowered her gun and Scott let out a ragged breath in relief. It, unfortunately didn't last long as a creaking came from the old house. It was the type of sound you might hear in a horror film that would send chills up your spine – and even Madeline would honestly say that it did. The cracked open doorway was pitch black but she knew that feeling; if she focused hard enough, she could even hear its breathing.

Chris kept his gun level and still as he looked at the threshold. "Allison, get back."

Kate raised her gun to the door and Scott got up, facing it. Maddie pivoted to face the run down house and took a few steps forward. Both she and Scott didn't move back as the hunters and Allison did. The frightened, fair brunette kept backing up as she found her voice, although it was shaky and fragile. "What is it?"

Maddie and Scott threw each other sideways glances just as the boy's eyes began to glow a brilliant golden yellow. "It's the Alpha."

In that moment, without warning something came rushing out of the door in a blur, circling them. They admittedly tried to keep up but before they could, it knocked Chris roughly off his feet. Soon after, Allison fell as well. Next was Maddie, who stumbled back and hit something sharp and hard on the back of her head.

It seemed like mere seconds that she was out, but when the slayer stood again, the Alpha, Allison, and Kate were gone. It was then she heard a short but pained yelp coming from the house. Dazed still and unsteady, she got to her feet and ran as she heard Peter's voice.

"I don't know about you, Allison, but that apology… didn't sound very sincere."

In a flash, Maddie came bounding around the corner and spear tackled Peter. It wasn't like the first time at the school though – it was her full weight and power as she felt her feet leave the ground and her now-braced shoulder collided with his mid-section. Peter was taken off of his feet as well and, in no time at all, Maddie sprang to her feet again and took a defensive stance. Peter managed to shake it off, although he now looked like Maddie still felt.

He laughed, his voice boisterous and full of vigor. "There she is! I knew there was a Slayer in there somewhere."

"Allison, get out of here," Maddie said, her tone calm but urgent. "_Now_."

Allison backed away a few steps as two figures came out of the shadows of the room. Both Scott and Derek began to circle, their faces morphed and eyes glowing, as Scott added forcefully to a frightened Allison, "_Run_."

As Allison bolted, all three moved forward quickly to attack Peter. He tossed both Scott and Derek at once before ducking an attack and hitting Maddie so hard that she when flying into a wall.

Both wolves and the slayer got up still and delivered strike after strike, kick after kick. Peter's face began transforming – elongating into a long snout for only a moment before going back to normal. This happened several times in a row as the others landed their blows successfully. It didn't last for long though, and after a while Peter managed to systematically take out all three for more than a few seconds. Each, in their own respects, began to get up slowly as what hovered over them now was the beast Maddie remembered from the beginning – the monstrous Alpha with piercing red eyes. It roared thunderously before picking up Scott and throwing him through the front facing window. Maddie ran to attack, slashing up the creature's back with her axe mercilessly.

She ducked its backhand and suddenly drove her weapon into it's should, causing it to scream. It took force to dislodge the weapon but when she finally did, the Alpha grabbed her by the throat tightly.

It was there that she knew it had been him – this whole time it was been Peter in the dream. Her eyes widened as she felt her head start to get cloudy and her vision started to darken. There was a hesitation from him though and suddenly, he threw her through the now glass-less window. She hit the ground and rolled onto the leaves to break some of the impact.

Watching, dizzy and weakened from where she laid on the ground, Maddie felt utterly helpless as she failed to get up immediately. The Alpha had grabbed Scott by his jacket but Scott managed to kick himself away from it. The monstrous wolf shook it off and got up, ready to attack when in that instant, he became illuminated and a horn went off.

In the distance stood Stiles and Jackson and before anyone could possibly react, Stiles threw something at the beast. The Alpha caught it, revealing a glass beaker, and let out a roar in the boy's direction.

Stiles looked not only disappointed but utterly horrified. "_Oh_, damn."

"Allison!" Scott had crawled over to the discarded bow on the ground and threw it to the youngest Argent hastily. In seconds, she girl had an arrow pointed at the monster walking towards her. The Alpha went to throw the beaker but Allison had already released the arrow, which went directly through the glass container.

Instantly, its arm was engulfed entirely in flames. Another second passed as it flailed and a second container hit the creature, coming this time from Jackson. The rest of the wolf's body ignited and it cried out in pain before turning and charging at Allison. Scott kicked Peter sharply in the other direction and the flames began to die out as they consumed him.

Maddie struggled to regain her footing, shaking her head harshly as she stumbled into a tree to lean on. She breathed in again and noticed Scott and Allison on the ground. She sighed and limped towards the car, sitting on the hood as Jackson and Stiles stood on either side. A shocked Jackson turned a bit indignant as he saw this. "Hey! Get your ass off my car!"

Still watching the world spin far too fast and tilt in too many directions, she mustered up a rather menacing glare and waved her axe at him slightly. "Make me, rich boy." Jackson's face twisted up in a mixture of horror and annoyance but Maddie was far too out of it to care. She squinted at the charred body in the distance. "So that's what a Molotov cocktail does?"

Stiles threw her a sideways glance, eyeing the matted blood in her hair and the weakness in her voice, and seemed to make up his mind about something. Finally, he nodded. "Yup."

She tilted her head, which turned out to not be such a great idea. "Huh. Thought it'd be cooler."

His brow creased and he gestured to the flames still licking the sides of the trees and shrinking on the ground. "What? That was _pretty_ cool."

"…You need higher standards." She waved him off, wishing she could go back to her crappy motel room already and make the call to go back to headquarters. The job was done, after all. In fact, she was going to ask if he was dead yet – clearly an effect of her injury, as usually she'd simply go up and do it herself.

Then something strange caught her eye. A dark figure slowly moved towards the remains of Peter and Maddie squinted to see who or what it was. She slowly stood again, leaning heavily against the silver Porsche for support. She took careful, measured steps toward them, mumbling, "…wait…no…no, you..."

The word _can't_ became ashes on her tongue before it left her mouth. People were talking. Scott, maybe? It sounded like him and her seemed most assuredly distressed. Someone else was talking. It was quiet and frail – but full of rage.

"I can _smell it on you_."

Scott was crying out and the world wouldn't stop spinning. Maddie fell against a tree and, in the moonlight, saw a clawed hand raised up. She wanted to yell, to stop them, to something – but she heard a slash. Soon after there was a gurgling and choking sound and, with a moment of full clarity, the slayer saw Derek Hale turn around. He eyes glowed blood red as he stared at Scott.

_**"I'm the Alpha now,"**_ he bellowed, his voice much lower and almost unearthly._ Demonic._

Her heart pounded furiously in her chest and, with the pain in her head too demanding, she gave into to the darkness.

**Author's Note: Hm...why did Peter hesitate? All will be explained as the series continues! Thanks for the support for Act One! Stay tuned right here for Act Two! ALSO - check out the exclusive act two opening on youtube [just search "from ashes act ii"]! Lemme know whatcha think!**


	17. Chapter Sixteen: Lesson

**Act II  
Chapter Sixteen: Lesson**

* * *

**A/N: Welcome to Act Two! Ugh, this actually took forever. Like, I had no idea how to get from point A to point B with this for a while. Luckily, filler is good for character development! There's plenty of nice little moments between Maddie and nearly everyone. Some awkwardness. Some slayer-related angst. Some excitement, maybe? We'll see, won't we? Enjoy!**

* * *

_When I was younger, I always wanted to be…something. Something great, I guess. Stronger, faster, smarter. Exceptional. Then I was called. I was, for lack of a better word, chosen._

_I thought I would become something greater, that my life would mean something. Something's better than nothing, right?_

_No. This isn't something. I've become nothing more than a shadow. No, even worse: a weapon._

_So, then, why not decide to be a great weapon? I mean, what else am I good for? I've made myself into this – a weapon forged in fire and cold as steel. That's what they see, at least. For all the impenetrable framing I've built, there's nothing inside. I'm hollow. I've got no real interests or hobbies. No friends. Instead I have slaying and training and allies._

_For everything I'm told I'm exceptional for, in reality I'm worth nothing to anyone. I'm expendable; a faceless warrior._

_We are alone. I am alone – and my mission was done._

_So, then, why did I feel the need to stay in Beacon Hills?_

_Easy._

_It had been a month and I hadn't run into a single vampire._

* * *

**"Not one?"** Even the redhead on the other line sounded worried now. Then again, leave it to Willow Rosenberg to wear her emotions on her sleeve.

Maddie plopped down in a chair, across from Chris Argent, who even seemed mildly intrigued by the news. The slayer sighed. "Not hide nor fang."

**"Oh boy."**

"There hasn't been a death specifically caused by severe blood loss from neck wounds in years," Chris said, his voice low and tired. It had been days since the death of his sister, Kate, and the stress of it all could easily be seen on his face.

The phone had been set on the center of the coffee table and put on speaker. Maddie looked at the device as if she was seeing the witch right in front of her. "So, wait…is that bad?"

**"Well, usually I'd go with a big, fat 'no', but Beacon Hills isn't exactly a mystical-energy-free zone. Vampires _should_ be drawn to it. "**

"Maybe it's the wolves," Maddie replied, feeling a cold stare on her immediately but not looking over.

**"All two of 'em?"**

The teenager rolled her eyes at the sarcastic remark. "Right. So what do we do?"

**"That's kind of the thing, Mads,"** Xander spoke up on the other line. **"The mission's over. Finito. Done."**

"But the vampires!" Maddie argued, her voice growing louder. "And Derek Hale! There's still an Alpha in town. The threat didn't just disappear into thin air. And Allison! Isn't it my job to protect her?" She turned her head to the hunter. "Isn't it?"

Chris sighed and didn't answer.

**"Maddie, it's okay. The Argents can take it from here. This is kinda their area of expertise…"** Willow went on.

"She's right," Chris spoke finally.

**"See? So, we can just-"**

"No," Chris cut Xander off. There was a beat. "…Madeline's right. We don't know what's coming next. The extra help might be useful."

Madeline eyed the man suspiciously. She hadn't anticipated him taking her side.

**"Ohh…kay."**

**"We'll have to talk it over on our end,"** Xander added in an equally suspicious tone. **"You sure about this, Hayes?"**

The petite brunette studied the Argent, as if attempting to decipher any hidden agenda. "Yeah. Yeah, I'd like to stay a little longer."

**"Well, as fun as this conversation keeps getting, we can't really move forward until Buffy gets back." **The unease in Willow's voice told the slayer that she didn't seem to trust the hunter either. **"We'll go over it with her and, uh…get back to you."**

"Sounds like a plan." There was an air of bitterness as Maddie replied but she quickly hid it away again before continuing on. "I'll check back tomorrow."

**"Ten-four good buddy,"** Willow replied and this was soon followed by a beep that let Maddie know that the call had ended.

The slayer looked over at the hunter. "Why did you do that?"

"It was the truth," Chris replied, his stare unchanging. "A Slayer might be useful for a little while."

Madeline stood and grabbed her phone from the table. "And I'm supposed to take that at face value."

"Take it however you want. The bottom line is that you saved my daughter's life."

"So did Scott but you're not extending an invitation to him. So what gives?"

Chris exhaled loudly and stood from his own seat. "Scott is the reason Allison got involved in this." His voice was progressively getting louder as he spoke. "Now, I don't want to see a sixteen year old kid end up dead but I won't allow him destroy my daughter's life either."

"And what does _any_ of that have to do with me?" she answered, sounding exasperated.

"I know you want to keep both of them out of harm's way." There was a long pause as his bright blue eyes narrowed on the girl. "So, I have a proposition for you."

* * *

The past twelve hours had been confusing and outright stressful. She hadn't been able to get any shut eye whatsoever, which was more than a little frustrating but that wasn't the extent of her troubles. She now found herself carrying her things – which consisted of a duffel, a backpack, and a messenger bag – down the long, dark hallway. She had already passed the guest room which once housed Kate for several months. It hadn't been offered to her though. No, that was supposed to be for another Argent who was on their way; that was a frightening thought in itself. She was beginning to get tired of Argents.

Alas, Maddie found herself in front of another door. Not hers, of course; a door she did not want to knock on whatsoever.

Yet, she did.

The door swung open, revealing a messy-haired, frowning Allison. She looked down at Madeline's luggage and back up at her face. "Hi."

Maddie forced a thin-lipped smile. "Hi."

Allison seemed to hesitate but took a few steps to the side, opening the door a bit more as a begrudging invitation. The slightly shorter brunette set her things down in the hallway and stepped in carefully as if avoiding a landmine. Allison closed the door and walked back over to her bed, sitting down. "Shouldn't you be moving in?"

"Probably," Maddie said with a shrug as she stood by the vanity.

"Then why are you here?"

The slayer sighed as the question sliced through the thick air. She folded her arms and leaned against the polished furniture. Her posture and attitude did nothing to allude to some sort of apology. Instead, she looked Allison directly in the eye, defiance coming out in waves with the way she carried herself. "I did what I was told: go to a new town, stop a threat, protect someone."

"I never _asked_ anyone to protect me." Allison was becoming increasingly defensive, jolting up from her bed.

"You also didn't know werewolves existed," Maddie countered, her tone and expression not changing one bit.

Allison's mouth opened to say something but it quickly clamped shut as she looked away. "They should've told me…_someone_ should've told me."

Maddie could hear the pain in the girl's voice and, although a pinch of guilt surfaced, her confusion and annoyance boiled over. "What would that have accomplished? What would it help? Would your boyfriend be less of a werewolf? Would your dad be less of a hunter? Would Kate-"

"Don't!" Allison shouted, putting her index finger up before her hand clenched into a fist and dropped back down. "Just…don't."

As the youngest Argent sat back down and silence sheathed around them. Something in Maddie's gut told her to do something – anything, really. Perhaps even not be so…_her_ for a moment. She didn't like the idea of that. Still, she moved forward and sat down on the bed next to Allison. She didn't speak, but instead found herself looking out of window she was facing.

Another minute passed before Allison spoke again, her voice fragile and unsure. "So…what _is_ a slayer, anyway?"

Maddie's eyes floated over to the girl next to her, who still looked very much in pain but seemed to still be trying. It was almost admirable. The slayer found herself looking down at the floor. "It's a long story."

"I…_think_ we've got time." There was a small, mirthless laugh that escaped from Allison. "If you haven't noticed, you kind of live here."

"Temporarily," Maddie added. She looked over at the Argent. "Until your dad decides that I'm just as much a threat as Scott and sends me packing. Which should be any day now."

Allison shuffled around a bit uncomfortably. "…Thank you, I guess."

Maddie raised an eyebrow curiously. "For what?"

"Saving my life." The way she said it made it sound like it wasn't very easy to spit out, like the words left a bad taste in her mouth.

Maddie made a quick decision and nudged Allison's shoulder with hers. "I'm not the one who set an Alpha werewolf on fire with a bow and arrow."

"That was pretty awesome, wasn't it?" A small grin stretched across Allison's face before both girls laughed quietly. Maddie took a moment to realize in the moment that that was the first time she had shared a genuine laugh with the girl beside her. She was about to take her leave when Allison spoke up again. "So…honesty from now on?"

"Unless my higher ups tell me otherwise," came Maddie's blunt reply. Allison rolled her eyes and Maddie shrugged her shoulders. "What? This is me being _honest_."

Allison shook her head slowly and exhaled a deep breath. "You're impossible."

* * *

"Wait, okay…" Stiles began slowly. "Why are you telling me this?"

Maddie sat a few chairs down from him in the waiting area of the hospital – and she was sure he was wearing the same clothes as the day before. Ignoring the sarcasm and the smell, she finally answered. "Because you have a car."

He narrowed his stare at her from his seat. "So you're using me for transportation."

"What else would I use you for?" Maddie paused and analyzed Stiles shocked look before thinking over her words again. She quickly sent a glare his way. "The answer to which is _absolutely nothing_."

"So…you want me to drive you all the way to the next town over because why?"

"Because I need to _actually_ patrol." She sunk lower into her increasingly uncomfortable seat. "And Allison's dad won't drive me."

Stiles scooted up in his chair. "See, here's the thing: I'm not a cab service! You know who I give rides to? _Friends_. Nice people. Not people who people who insult me and put me in pain."

"Maybe if you didn't deserve it…" she mumbled. "And that was only, like…_twice_. Besides, I _know_ that's not true." She poked him in the arm accusingly several times in a row. "You've given Derek rides."

"Yeah, well, Derek has the ability to kill me!" he argued back in a hushed tone. "And I value my life! It's actually very precious to me, okay?"

Maddie blinked and gave him an unenthusiastic stare. "I have the ability to kill you, too. Does that count for anything?"

"You _totally_ wouldn't even kill me! It's against your Slayer code or whatever…" It took him another second before he violently shook his head. "And can we please stop talking about my death?!"

"You don't even know what the code is…"

"Ha! But there _is_ a code!"

Maddie rolled her dark eyes and looked over to the door, behind which was Lydia's room. A pang of guilt spread through her but she promptly shook it off once more. This wasn't the time. "I'm giving you the chance to see a real, live vampire from the safety of your car. I slay it, you can stop calling me crazy, and we head back. I mean, Scott already agreed but he told me to ask you, too."

She noticed his stare go toward the room as well as he stayed silent.

"It won't be long," she added, feeling the sudden need to soften her words, no matter how awkward it seemed to do so. "We'll be back by midnight – one at the latest. Then you can stay here for the rest of the weekend for all I care. It's just this once." He still didn't answer or moved his gaze. Maddie held in an exasperated sigh. "Stiles, _please_."

She hated using that word – _please_. It made her sound so helpless, like she had no choice but to beg. Then again, the fact that she needed to make such a request seemed absurd to her still. She was sure her expression didn't match her words, even when Stiles finally turned to face her again. There was a prolonged moment where he simply studied her – maybe to find out if she was being sincere, but she wasn't quite sure. Suddenly, it was his turn to sigh dramatically. "Fine. When are we leaving?" 

* * *

"You know, when I asked 'when are we leaving', I didn't think you meant immediately!"

They had only just passed the _'Now Leaving Beacon Hills'_ sign moments ago and found themselves surrounded by trees on either side of the road.

Maddie found herself watching the trees pass by idly and refraining from kicking Stiles' seat which was directly in front of her. "It wasn't _immediate._ There was like an hour before we left."

"That's pretty immediate!"

"We didn't have time to plan. My dad would get suspicious," Allison said, sitting beside Maddie and behind Scott.

Maddie snorted a short, bitter laugh. "I _breathe_ and your dad gets suspicious."

Scott looked positively worried sick in the front passenger seat. "Allison, are you sure that this is a good idea? I mean…"

"It's okay, Scott," Allison said, her voice gentler. "I'll be fine. Maddie and I have this all worked out."

"What does that even mean?" Stiles asked with an exaggerated shrug.

Maddie sighed. She already didn't like this plan – especially if she turned out to be right about the vampires. "…Allison and I agreed that I'm not here to protect her anymore."

Scott turned back to the two girls, his own dark stare full of concern. "Then what are you here to do?"

Maddie remained stoic as even Allison looked over expectantly. This was a bad idea; she could feel it in her bones. The rest of their conversation the night before had gone as smooth as she wanted it to. Allison had gotten this mixture of rage and pain stuck in her voice and Maddie had given in begrudgingly, just like she was now. "Help her train."

The vampire slayer stayed silent for the rest of the ride, watching the scenery outside her window. She could feel someone's eyes on her now and then but shrugged it off. She felt as if she was getting pulled in so many directions – by Allison, by the other hunters, by her guilt, by HQ. All she wanted was to find out of the vampires and make sure Lydia was okay. Instead, she kept making deals with everyone. Yes, she indeed did not feel like a person here – just a tool to meet everyone else's ends. She rested her head against the glass and felt as if someone was watching her again. Her eyes flicked over from the trees to Allison, then to Scott. That was when she noticed the rear view mirror and a set of curious light brown eyes looking directly at her – but just as quickly looking away. She huffed and directed her stare back at the window when something caught her eye.

The dense trees had stopped instantly, leading to a wide, grassy field. The way the moonlight hit it reminded her of something though. That was when her eyes widened and fear gripped her. _...The dream._

"Stiles, stop the car."

"But we're in the middle of-"

"_Stop the car!_" her voice boomed, causing Stiles to abruptly swerve and stop on the shoulder of the road.

Maddie suddenly cursed under her breath, waiting for the boys to get out first so that she and Allison could climb out. As her shiny, black boots touched the asphalt, the slayer immediately found herself walking towards the vacant lot and across the empty road.

She knew this place; she had seen it time and time again. "How far out of Beacon Hills are we?"

"Uh, two miles?" Stiles answered, still standing by his jeep. "Where are you going? We're not even _in_ the next town yet."

"We don't need to be," she muttered almost involuntarily.

Scott, who seemed on alert himself, looked at Stiles and Allison with caution. Allison, who's face had drain of color, gripped her bow tightly and nodded. The three moved forward carefully, catching up to Madeline.

"Stop!" Maddie shouted, whipping around. "Stay by the car!"

Allison's mouth hung open for a second. "That wasn't our deal! You said-"

"That I'd _train_ you, not get you killed…" Her voice trailed off as she looked back at the trees. Something was rustling in them now – and it was getting closer. The petite brunette smoothly took the wooden stake out of her sleeve. "Training begins now."

From the thick woods, leaves rustled. Maddie's vision snapped back over to the looming darkness, focusing as her grip on her stake became so tight that her knuckles turned white. Instinctively, both she and Scott managed to maneuver in front of both Allison and Stiles, although Allison still managed to have a shaky arrow at the ready. As their eyes adjusted to the blackness, in the distance, something began moving. Shadows perforated the cracks between the trees, moving forward towards them.

"Remember that conversation about vampires not being real?" Maddie asked, her voice harsh and unyielding as she did well to ignore her pounding heart. Her gaze went over to Scott, whose eyes were glowing a bright yellow and features had shifted as a growl rumbled in his throat. Her head turned back to the shadows that were coming closer.

"Uh, yeah?" Stiles managed to answer from the back, his voice shrinking.

Another growl sounded but this time from ahead of them. From the woods, figures emerged – pale and deformed. Maddie's blood was pumping furiously in her veins as adrenaline took over. This was what she lived for. Anyone could make plans and deals – Maddie preferred to leave those to others. She was a weapon and now was the time to show it. Her dark brown eyes narrowed on the creatures coming towards them and her lips tugged upwards in a grim smile. "Lesson one – it's _always_ real."

* * *

_"It's real. It's the only lesson, Dawn. It's **always** real." – **Buffy, 07x22: 'Lessons'**_


	18. Chapter Seventeen: Someone

**Chapter Seventeen: Someone**

**A/N: FINALLY. I'm so sorry it's taken so long to update and that it's a bit shorter than usual but here we are with some quality Staddie moments ahead! Enjoy!**

* * *

The punch landed.

Maddie's balled fist hurt a bit, although she of course would be the first to openly admit that it felt right. It was a good hurt that she knew, with full comprehension, had been worth it as it was clear that the vampire was in much more pain than she was. She smirked and gave the creature a sharp knee to the gut before spinning around and releasing her hand axe from her grasp. The slayer didn't bother to watch it spin gracefully through the air and into the back of another vampire's skull – a vampire that had been barreling towards Allison a second before. As the monster slumped to the ground momentarily, Maddie whirled back around, sliding a stake out of her sleeve with ease and gripping it tightly as she plunged it into the chest of the demon before her. Sweat dripped down her brow and the petite brunette ran her free hand through her hair to keep it from sticking to her face. Her quick, heavy footfalls took her away from the area and in the direction of the others as the vampire now behind her crumbled to a pile of ash in the tall grass.

The monster in front of Allison – which had previously been on the ground – started to stand, the axe still lodged in the back of his shaved head. Fear overtook Allison's wide eyes as her frayed nerves held her in place. She fumbled quite a bit to grab a sleek, wooden arrow – gifts courtesy of Madeline – from her quiver, nearly dropping it as her panic rose in her chest. She drew her bow as the large vampire moved closer with a sadistic grin on his face, his fangs poking through menacingly. Its ridged brow shadowed its sickly yellow eyes that were narrowed on the youngest Argent and glinting dangerously in the moonlight. It chuckled and did not slow down.

Before the vampire reached her though, it was tackled to the ground. A roar bellowed from Scott as he delivered blow after blow to the monster's face.

"It's dead already! Kill it!" Maddie shouted as she found herself fighting another vampire from a distance.

Scott hesitated at the order and the brief pause caused the vampire to push him off roughly, sending him painfully into a nearby tree back first. The creature kipped up and shook off whatever effect the blows had on him before returning his attention to Allison. That second was just long enough though, as in that instant, the pale demon felt a sharp pain in his chest. He looked down to see the arrow had found its target and swiftly looked up again. His eyes were blazing but as he attempted to run toward Allison his body had already begun to turn to ash.

Allison caught her breath in relief for a moment as Scott, slightly dazed, looked on in astonishment. The Argent took a second to gather her thoughts before she found the axe half buried in the small hill of what was formerly a vampire. She quickly grabbed it and looked around for its owner. In the distance, the slayer had found herself fending off two vampires with abnormally massive frames.

"Maddie!" Allison yelled, throwing the axe in the direction of the girl as hard as she could.

The hand axe fell short though, landing in the grass only a foot away. Maddie felt herself begin to panic and got sloppier with each blow. Kicks and punches flew around in a flurry, both coming from her and connecting with her with no let up.

It was then something absolutely horrifying happened. One of the vampires had eased off of its attacks but with good reason: there was something on his back.

No. Not something.

_Someone_.

In what could only be a failed attempt at a sleeper hold, Stiles hung on for dear life to the neck of the vampire who was now whipping his torso wildly to get the boy off of him. Stiles, on the other hand, was flailing around like a rag doll left and right, shouting something that sounded a bit like, "Yeah, you're not so tou-ahhh!"

Both Madeline and the other vampire took a moment to gape at the scene but it didn't last very long as the slayer used the distraction – she had assumed that was what it was – to leap to the ground and grab her axe. In one swift motion, she spun on her heel and sliced the distracted vampire's head clean off. It took a lot of force and Maddie spun just a bit too much because of it but that was the least of her worries now.

Stiles had finally been thrown to the ground, wincing in pain as he laid there. Both Scott and Maddie were rushing toward the last vampire at full speed, the werewolf leaping to shoulder check the demon in the face and the slayer aiming for its legs from behind. The both hit at once, taking the creature off of its feet immediately. Scott rolled on the ground and faced them as he stood again while Maddie, instead of doing the same, took the brief moment to bury her stake in the monster's chest with a final sigh.

There was a few seconds when the field became still once more and silence enveloped them. Allison ran towards Scott, quietly asking if he was alright. The scene across from them was quite different though. Maddie had stood finally and brushed herself off before eyeing the boy on the ground. She raised an eyebrow at Stiles, who seemed to be trying to push himself off the ground with little luck. The slayer rolled her dark eyes and begrudgingly held out her hand to him. Stiles paused and stared at the hand warily, waiting another moment before accepting the gesture.

As Maddie helped him up though, she tugged him close enough to punch his upper arm, and not holding back as much as she normally would. Stiles let go instantly and held his now sore arm. "What was that for?!"

Maddie narrowed her eyes on him, a frown lining his features. "Never. Do. That. _Again_."

"What? Save your life?" Stiles shot back. He shrugged, fury raising behind his own stare. "Fine!"

"You did _not_ save my life!" She gestured to the piles of ash littered in the grassy field. "I was handling it just fine!"

Stiles looked utterly shocked by the response. "_Handling_ it? Sure, maybe if you were trying to end up _dead_! Then, yeah, you were handling it!"

"_I'd_ end up dead?" she asked, her tone becoming angrier as she took a threatening step toward him. "_You_ were the one trying to get yourself _killed_ by jumping on that vampire!"

"But I _didn't_!" Stiles shouted even louder. "Look, whether you like it or not, my plan actually worked! We're all alive – thanks in part to me providing a distraction!" His light brown eyes narrowed on her. "Get over it!"

Maddie was fuming but not saying a word. She knew the truth and she hated to even think that something like that even worked or that an innocent – regardless of how idiotic they were – was put in harm's way. _There was a better way. There's always a better way._ She didn't say it out loud though but instead exhaled loudly and socked him in the arm again before heading back to the jeep.

"Stop that!" Stiles shouted, following in suit.

Scott and Allison, who were sufficiently calm by that point, threw each other sideways glances and laughed quietly. Without another word they headed back to the car as well.

* * *

Days had passed quickly since then with no furthering issues between Allison and Maddie and no speaking between Maddie and Stiles. The slayer found herself spending very little time at the Argents and making a point to avoid tense situations – like being in the same room with Allison's parents for any amount of time. Dinner had become a chore for both teenagers and Maddie had made the decision to eat out as often as possible in the few days she'd stayed there. She couldn't imagine it would get any better when more Argents would arrive.

This, on the other hand, was different. Both girls had been left at home while Chris and Victoria attended to business elsewhere. Maddie wasn't yet allowed to tell Allison the extent of the business but insisted on knowing for her own sake – a trait that both adults seemed to dislike but oblige. Then again, the slayer didn't lie to the other girl when asked about these things regardless of orders. Perhaps it was adolescent rebellion or maybe even that she was getting used to spending time with Allison and had an issue with dishonesty. Either way, she had just finished telling the hunter in training all she knew and had no qualms over doing so.

"So, Scott's coming over?" Maddie raised a curious eyebrow as she slipped on her leather jacket. "Isn't that a little dangerous?"

Allison rolled her eyes. "No more than hunting vampires."

"_Slaying_, thank you," Maddie replied quickly, her tone still light. "And is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"Not really." Allison shrugged before pointing an index finger at her friend. "Besides, I'm not letting you take responsibility for me. If you actually want to be my friend, I need you to stop acting like my babysitter."

Maddie frowned slightly but didn't reply. Instead, she focused her attention on picking at her brand new plum nail polish. She forgot how much she hated nail polish.

Allison sighed as she noticed Maddie's evasion. Her hand dropped to her side once again. "It's not on you to take care of us. Not me, not Lydia, not Stiles."

"I'm not taking _any_ responsibility for Stiles," Maddie snapped almost immediately, sounding more than a little defensive. "Anything dangerous he does is on him … What?"

Allison was giving her an amused look which vaguely reminded her of another time in the recent past. Instead of prodding, the fairer brunette waved it off. "Nothing. Where are you headed?"

"Hospital."

"You know Stiles is there."

"So? _I'm_ there to visit Lydia." Maddie's tone was getting a bit edgier. She took a deep breath before continuing in a much calmer voice. "Besides, I wanted to make myself scarce considering how thin these walls are. I don't really want to listen to the Allison and Scott sexcapades." The vampire slayer had already begun to walk towards the door, not bothering to catch Allison's bright red cheeks. "I'll talk to you later."

"R-right! Yeah. Later."

* * *

It had been a long walk to the hospital, but a much needed respite from the people she'd been spending far too much time with; it was actually exhausting. Finally, though, she had a chance to clear her head. The night air was bitingly cold as she clung to her jacket tighter. She managed to take a detour to the cemetery once again, as she had found herself doing every few nights like clockwork. The slayer never stayed very long though, seeing as she wasn't technically alone there. The same skittish boy from before always seemed to pop up. He worked there, she learned after another few days. He talked to her sometimes, asking why she always ended up there. She avoided the question and he didn't pry – something she was extremely grateful for. He told her his name was Isaac and she begrudgingly shared her name as well. Neither of them were very talkative and Maddie seemed to be comfortable with this. Even tonight, he merely gave her a nod which she returned. Still, no vampires.

Maddie had moved on, finding herself at the hospital shortly after. She grimaced at the sterile smell and folded her arms. Never had she known a slayer who didn't have a loathing for hospitals, herself included. Life and death were simple concepts; sick or hurt were not. They were complicated and stressful. It wasn't that she wasn't grateful for Lydia to be getting better, she just hated the idea of hurt. You can't save people from _hurt_.

Maddie had taken the painstakingly slow elevator to the correct floor and made her way over to the desk. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Melissa McCall, Scott's mother, placing a clipboard in the holder on the door and looking at something else. The teenager followed her glance and her own stare went flat.

Once again, it was not _something_.

There, draped across a row of chairs with a **'Get Well Soon'** balloon attached to his wrist, was Stiles, half-snoring and half-mumbling in his sleep. The slayer shook her head slowly and returned her attention to Melissa, who was now looking at her as if trying to decipher something. Finally, she pointed to the girl as if something had clicked. "Maddie."

Maddie smiled politely and mimicked the gesture. "Scott's mom."

"That's what they keep calling me at least," the woman said with a laugh at the end.

The younger girl forced a laugh of her own before speaking again. "Is it alright if I visit Lydia?"

"She's actually getting cleaned up right now, but she shouldn't be too long if you don't mind waiting."

Maddie had nodded and walked over to the waiting area. Unfortunately, there was nowhere to sit without moving Stiles and she consider it for a moment. That is, until he began making kissing sounds and she resolved from there to not touch him.

She saw a man leave Lydia's room, recognizing him as the girl's father. He also seemed to be giving Stiles a strange look as he conversed with Mrs. McCall.

"He's been here all night?"

"He's been here all _weekend_."

It wasn't surprising in the least. Allison had previously explained Stiles' massive crush on Lydia just the other day and suddenly things were making a lot more sense. Of course, either way, the last thing Maddie cared to learn about was who likes who or who's dating who – it all seemed trivial, honestly.

Regardless, Stiles' incoherent rambling was becoming rather entertaining. Madeline watched and stepped out of the way slightly as an older woman came by to pick up the trash. Stiles had a ridiculous grin on his face as he continued to sleep and quite clearly said, "…You're _dirty_," and continued to make kissing noises.

Maddie snorted a laugh and covered her mouth as the woman gave Stiles a shocked glance and quickly moved on. The noise she made as she walked off seemed to jolt Stiles awake once again and he sat up instantly, looking around. As his vision focused once again, he was met with the sight of Maddie standing right beside him and stifling her laughter. His eyes widened and he gaped at her for a moment as if searching for something to say. Before he could say a word though, she held up her hands defensively and tried not to laugh again. "You know what? I don't want to know."

Stiles still looked absolutely beside himself and more confused by the moment as he sat up more and swatted the balloon out of his face. "Don't want to know what?"

"_Anything _involving whatever you were dreaming about," she said, regaining some composure. "Also, as a note, you probably shouldn't sleep in public places if you're going to call nurses dirty."

"..._What_?" Stiles' eyes widened in sheer horror as they met hers. He stood straight up and took a step back from the girl cautiously. "Wait! W-what else did I say?"

"I don't know. I just got here." She shrugged before her amused looked turned more inquisitive at his reaction. "…Why?"

"Pfft! No reason," he said instantly, almost cutting her off. "Just a question. Thought I'd ask – but we're moving on! Moving forward. Who's hungry? Are you hungry? I'm hungry." He spoke so quickly that she had no time to answer. Suddenly, he pointed his thumb in the direction of the hallway behind him. "I'm gonna, y'know…fix that. Right now. Over there."

Without another word, he walked off in the same direction. Maddie gave him an odd look as he walked off and hesitantly followed at a much slower pace with her arms folded. For a moment, she thought to ask but thought that the answered would be much weirder than she cared to think about.


	19. Chapter Eighteen: Hate

**Chapter Eighteen: Hate**

* * *

**A/N: Not much to say in this note aside from the fact that a new From Ashes trailer has been posted on my youtube account [of the same name]. For easier access to all of the FA media, follow my tumblr, _aanarchxst_. **

**Feel free to message me there! I answer a lot quicker. Anyway, onto to the show!**

* * *

_December 2005_

She moved like water – with an ease and grace uncommon among the other young girls. As if she was born to do this, to _be _a slayer. Sure, they were _all _born to be slayers, but this was certainly different. Every strike, dodge, and kick was so perfectly timed, no one could possibly tell they had all been training for just two years. The trainers were impressed, even when they attempted not to show it. The other girls, though bitter, were in awe. Maddie was not.

Ten year old Maddie fumbled a lot, sometimes even got scared and screamed. When she wasn't afraid, she was clumsy – at least, that's what the adults would say. They didn't think she heard but after she had taken to being on the quiet side after her first few weeks, she seemed to hear a lot. She began to believe that the universe had made a mistake making her a slayer, someone chosen for something so great. It simply wasn't her.

…No, not _her_.

Marie was another case entirely.

Anne Marie Drake was a twelve year old prodigy. She trained with the older girls sometimes and had, on occasion, beaten a few of them. She had a wide, triumphant smile each time and flipped her long blonde hair as she would saunter away. It was always a treat to watch her work, everyone always said. Maddie didn't seem to agree.

Maddie hadn't forgotten what Marie had done those first few weeks. She remembered the hurt and the laughter emitting from everyone else. She remembered the bruises that had stretched across her rib cage. Sure, time had passed and Buffy had told her not to hold grudges, but she couldn't help it. It was a black spot on her heart that spread with time and no words could stop it.

This is what she had resolved as she watched the girl in training that day. Her insides twisted painfully as she turned away and pushed herself roughly through the crowd. There was nothing good about that girl. Nothing nice or kind or compassionate. She was mean and cocky – and that was at her best. She hurt people that didn't deserve it.

_I didn't deserve it._

That's what Buffy had told her, at least.

She sat in the back of the large stone castle, her hard gaze peering out beyond the moors to the cloudy sky. The sun was setting and the icy wind stung her cheeks as it blew past. Soon, being alone outside wouldn't be an option at all, what with winter settling in. She would have to spend her time with the rest of the girls. Maybe Buffy would let her eat with her, her sister, and Mister Harris. She decided to remind herself of that when she got back inside.

That was when she saw a shadow out of the corner of her eye.

Maddie's head perked up to find the familiar blonde curls blowing all around the face of a blue-eyed and unnaturally tall twelve year old girl. She bounced around a bit and kept her arms folded, probably to ward off the cold. She didn't wait to ask for a seat next to Maddie before sitting down, much to the younger girl's distress.

There was a long silence passed between them as Maddie's hands balled into fists while she still hugged her knees. Marie's legs stretched out in front of her, her feet moving left and right as she leaned back and propped herself up on her elbows. Neither girl looked away from the gray sky for what seemed like hours.

It was only minutes, though, before Maddie heard the familiar Southern drawl as Marie spoke. "Why do you _always _come out here?"

"To get away from you." There was no pause, no hesitation. The words spilled from the ten-year-old's mouth easily enough to startle the other girl. Up until that moment, the only emotions Madeline Hayes had seen from the girl she had dubbed her arch enemy were happiness and anger. Without looking, she knew that neither were present. Out of sheer curiosity – or possibly malice – she looked over at the older girl. She was still looking at the sky with her wide blue eyes, perhaps to keep herself from looking at Maddie with guilt. Without missing another beat, the tiny brunette continued. "Why are _you _out here?"

"I dunno," she answered with a shrug. "It was getting crowded. Too much stupid, ya know?"

Maddie didn't exactly know how to take that. Was she being called smart or maybe just not as dumb as the others? She didn't answer either way. She didn't care to answer. She was too infuriated by the inane mixture of laziness and arrogance. _Stupid?_ She was one to talk.

"Hey."

This seemed to catch Maddie's attention, causing her to glance back over at the older girl. In her hand, she held two packets of Reese's, passing one of them to Maddie. The girl nearly caught it before it bounced off of the side of her hand and to the grass. Marie laughed a bit as Maddie picked up the bright orange packaging. They hardly went beyond their headquarters, so candy was a luxury for the older girls and the trainers usually, with a treat here and there when Willow stopped by. Her eyes widened and she looked back at Marie. "How'd you get this?!"

"Trip to Aberdeen. I got to tag along for 'Outstanding Merit' or somethin' lame like that. Don't really remember." The blonde tore open the wrapper with her teeth and threw the paper cup behind her as she bit into the chocolate.

Maddie watched her with a frown. So careless. How could this girl be so special? "I kind of hate you."

There it was again – another carefree smile. There was no hint of anger or hurt. In that moment, Maddie knew the difference between the two of them. Marie glanced back over at Maddie with her wide, toothy grin. "S'okay. I kinda hate me too."

Maddie watched the girl in between eating her own peanut butter cup. In between the hate, something else seeping through. Curiosity.

It was not the last time they sat out in that field together.

Six months later, right before summer crept up on them, Marie had finally apologized.

* * *

_Present_

Maddie's hands were stuffed in her pockets as she watched Stiles meander over to the vending machines. His mouth stretched open in a yawn as he reached in his pocket. Maddie rocked back and forth on her heels quietly and impatiently as Stiles put change in the machine and idly pressed some buttons. The silence had gone on for only a few minutes and they both seemed to agree on not making any small talk. Maddie was horrible at small talk – besides, it would probably end in arguments and violence anyway.

She looked over at the machine to see a Reese's package almost fall before it got stuck on the wire. Stiles pressed the button again, several times over with no change. He gave an exasperated sigh and muttered, "…Seriously?"

Maddie's dark brown gaze shot back over to Stiles hitting the glass of the machine. "It's _just_ candy. Put another quarter in and get another one."

"I don't have another quarter," he argued. In a split second, his head turned towards her and his eyes turned slightly hopeful. "Wait, do you have quarter?"

She scowled at him, not bothering to look. "No."

He rolled his eyes and huffed before turning back to the machine. Grabbing the top of it, he began shaking the whole vending machine. Still, the candy did not move.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Maddie said, watching him warily and taking a step back.

He stopped shaking the machine and turned to her for a second. "Do you have a better idea?"

"Go home and get actual food?" she offered. He glared and looked back at the machine with contempt. Suddenly, he grabbed both sides of the vending machine and did what appeared to be an attempt at a lift. Maddie, watched him carefully, as if trying to decode something. She didn't get it. More, specifically, she didn't get him. She couldn't decipher whether he was ridiculously intelligent or dumb as a rock. If anything, that in itself infuriated her. The machine rocked dangerously further towards Stiles and Maddie took another careful step back, pulling herself away from her thoughts and into reality. "You're going to hurt yourself doing that."

"Maybe if you -" He pushed all of his body weight against the machine as it swayed. " – helped out –" He pushed again. " – a little bit – "

The vending machine rocked a bit too much and tipped toward him as it began to fall over. He reached to stop it but instead was pulled out of the way by the hood of his jacket. The machine toppled over with a loud crash, leaving Maddie with a flat, annoyed glare and Stiles with a wide eyed look at the mess. Letting go of his jacket, Maddie turned her attention to Stiles again, sighing. "You know, I kind of hate you."

"Yeah, you don't even believe that one," Stiles mumbled, a familiar edge in his voice as he began to try and pick up the impossibly heavy machine.

Maddie was slightly taken aback by the comment as she opened her mouth again to attempt a retort but nothing came out. She clamped her mouth shut once more and proceeded to glare at him.

That's when they heard it.

A scream.

If there was one thing Maddie had become familiar with over the past eight years, it was shrill, terrified screams. Of course, this was different – not only different, but unlike anything she had ever heard. It was…_deafening_. As the shock of it coursed through her, the truly horrifying part dawned upon her: it was coming from the direction of Lydia's room.

"Lydia," both she and Stiles muttered to themselves as they bolted in the direction of the noise. Maddie moved as fast as she could, leaving Stiles to fall behind, but she had no time to think about that as she made her way around the corner of the corridor. The slayer nearly ripped the door off the hinge as she sprinted into the room, her eyes wide and alert. Behind her, Scott's mother and another nurse had only just opened the door before Stiles pushed through them and past Maddie. She managed to stop short of the shower as the water continued to run and Stiles opened the curtain, revealing the empty tub. The slayer's heart continued to race, panic throttling her.

"Look," Stiles said quietly, calling her attention. Maddie followed his stare to the open window, revealing nothing but darkness that stretched through the dense woods in the distance.

* * *

"This _has_ to be illegal."

"Yeah, well, do you have some secret brilliant plan? If so, now's the time."

"I'm just pointing out the obvious."

"And you do that spectacularly, thank you! Now, c'mon, Scott's waiting!"

Maddie sighed and followed Stiles out of the hospital room, as he hid the slightly bloody fabric behind his back. The petite brunette huffed and walked alongside him, in an effort to hide the nightgown as well. "If we get caught, I'm blaming you."

"Yep, and I'm sure that defense'll work on the police, too." Stiles turned the corner sharply, not bother to look over. "Besides can't you use you're Slayer powers to just, you know, knock them out long enough for us to get away?"

"I am not using super strength to get you out of trouble!"

"_Us_. To get _us_ out of trouble." He threw her a side glance. "You helped. You're an accessory."

She grumbled a few curses under her breath as they continued down the hall to find Sheriff Stilinski and Melissa speaking and talking quickly.

"Let's get an APB out on a sixteen year old red head. Any other descriptors?"

Without a second's paused, Stiles interjected. "She's five-foot-three, green eyes, fair skinned, and her hair's actually strawberry blonde."

The Sheriff's eyes narrowed on his son. "Is that right?"

Stiles nodded. "Yeah."

In the blink of an eye, the Sheriff's hand grabbed the back of his son's neck and dragged him off. Both Melissa and Lydia's father looked over at Maddie expectantly. She forced a thin smile and half-waved. "Hi."

Once the two Stilinskis' conversation had ended, Stiles was pushed in the direction of the exit by his dad. The Sheriff managed to also give Maddie a chastising look as he spoke to his son again. "And make sure Madeline gets home as well, got it?"

"Right!" Stiles agreed before waving Maddie over. "Time to go, Mads!"

Maddie felt a sharp jolt of annoyance and glared at Stiles before quickly turning to the adults, giving them a casual salute. She quickly joined the pale, scrawny boy as they walked past the ruined vending machine that was still face down on the floor. They both stiffed at the sight of it and kept walking to the exit.

Once they finally sped out into the brisk winter air, Maddie punched Stiles arm. He jerked away instantly and gave her a shocked glance. "Ow! Are you freaking kidding me?! That was just starting to heal from the last time! What'd I do now?!"

"Don't call me Mads!" she replied through gritted teeth.

Looking rather confused and angry in his own right, he glared at her. "What?! Why not?"

"None of your business!" she snapped. This garnered another strange look from the boy, which she returned with a scowl. "Just…don't!"

She walked ahead of him, towards the blue jeep that Scott was already settled in. Stiles rolled his eyes dramatically and followed, getting in the driver's side after the slayer stumbled to the backseat. He handed the nightgown to Scott without a word.

Scott took it and looked up at Stiles. "This was the one she was just wearing?" Stiles simply nodded, looking a bit withdrawn, something that Scott could easily tell. "I'm not gonna let anyone hurt her. Not again."

"Alright, just shove the thing in your face and let's find her," Stiles replied, sounding a bit dejected. It wasn't but a second later that he switched on his headlights and was startled by a frantic looking Allison heading towards the car.

She bolted to Scott's side of the car as the werewolf sent her a worried glance. "What are you doing here? Someone's gonna see us."

"I don't care. She is my best friend and we need to find her before they do," she argued, a mixture of concern and determination in her eyes. She even shot Maddie a look as the slayer slouched in her seat and stayed silent.

Scott looked a bit confused. "I can find her before the cops can."

"How about before my father does?"

Stiles looked over as well now. "Wait, he knows?"

"Yeah," Allison replied. "I just saw him and three other guys leave my house in two SUVs."

Scott looked over at Stiles, panic dawning on his face. "Search party."

"More like hunting party," the youngest Argent said.

Scott turned his attention back to his girlfriend. "Get in." He opened his passenger side door almost instantly and Allison awkwardly climbed into the back, next to Maddie who was clearly not fond of this idea by the glare she was sending the girl next to her.

In a flash, Stiles revved the engine and sped off into the night as fast as the speed limit would permit him to – and maybe a little faster than that. It only took another minute or so before he spoke up again. "Alright, but if she's turning, would they actually kill her?"

"I don't know! They won't tell me anything, okay?" Allison went on, the edge in her voice get worse as she went on. "All they say is we'll talk after Kate funeral when the _'others'_ get here."

Stiles glanced at her in the rearview mirror. "What others?"

"I don't know. They won't tell me that either." Her unease was clearly getting to her now as she spoke so fast, her words slurred together a bit as she spoke.

"Other hunters," Maddie spoke up finally, feeling she might have something useful to add. "And an Argent. They didn't say a name, but it's a 'he' and your dad was talking about him like he was the black plague or something."

"What?" Allison turned to the slayer, her eyes wide with shock. "Wait, how do you- when did you find this out?"

Maddie shrugged. "Like, this morning."

"And you were planning on telling us _when_?" Stiles asked, sounding a bit unnerved himself.

"When you guys decided to ask me." She noted the two deadpan looks she was receiving. "What? You people interrogate me almost every day. It's not like you wouldn't have found out."

"Okay, both you _and_ her family have some very serious communication issues to work on." Stiles looked over to his best friend. "Scott, are we going the right way?"

Scott, on the other hand, had his head out the window as he continued to sniff the air. "Take the next right!"

"This is a terrible idea!" Maddie added with a curious look to Scott and back between Stiles and Allison.

"Thank you so much for your constructive input," Stiles quipped, looking back quickly at her before settling his eyes back on the road. "Do you have a better plan?"

Maddie stayed quiet and rolled her eyes. As they drove further into the darkness, her own uneasiness began to take over amoungst all the chatter in the car. This was her fault. She had made the mistake of allowing Lydia to get hurt and now she was missing. If they couldn't find her in time…she couldn't think about that. They would find her alive. They _had_ to.

Still, she couldn't help the bad feeling in her gut telling her things were about to get much worse.


	20. Chapter Nineteen: War

**Chapter Nineteen: War**

* * *

"So, you're not going?"

The next day had sprung upon them like any other with one exception - no signs of Lydia still. Aside from nearly getting caught by Allison's father, the night before had been a fruitless one and brought only more infuriating quesitons. Maddie frowned at the impertinent question as she leaned against the locker beside Allison's. Not only that though; she was frowning at the reaction Allison was giving her. That helpless, doe eyed look she tended to give the slayer every time they didn't agree. _Guilt tripping should be illegal,_ Maddie thought. Still, she held her ground. "Your aunt hated me."

"But-"

"No," Maddie cut in, her dark eyes wide as if to make a point. "I mean, like, _hated_ me. Legitimate loathing. From the moment I met her, she looked at me like..."

As the sentence faded, Allison looked withdrawn. "...A wild animal?"

Maddie's stare hardened and her jaw clenched for a moment. "Like a demon...a _monster_. Between that and your family..." The taller, fair girl's eyes shot to the floor immediately. The petite brunette struggled to withhold a sigh that attempted to escape her lips. "I just don't think I'd be welcome there."

It took a prolonged silence before Allison hesitantly nodded. There it was again - guilt stabbing through Maddie's gut and nesting there. That was when she heard something that turned her guilt into rage. Girls, chatting idly only feet away. This typically wouldn't bother the slayer all that much until she caught what they were talking about.

"...Not her sister, her _aunt_. The one who murdered all those people."

"You mean the crazy bitch who killed all those people?"

"Yeah, the fire, all those animal attacks - it was her _aunt_."

"Are you _kidding_? I sit next to her in English."

"Find a new seat."

Maddie quickly glanced over at Allison, who was still looking down although now there were tears shining in her eyes. She could hear them too. The slayer's blood was boiling as she turned around and the two girl who were giggling to themselves. She strode over without moment's pause to the two, arching an eyebrow as she sent them a glare. "I'm sorry - is there a problem over here?"

Both girls looked over at her, their own conversation coming to a dead stop. The edge in Maddie's tone was crystal clear as they gaped at her for a second, giving her a strange look. The girl on the right scoffed, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"That's interesting, because I could've sworn I heard you talking about my friend," Maddie tried to keep her voice pleasant but she couldn't seem to keep her own emotions in check. There was a ghost of a smile on her lips, although it felt dangerous - like an animal baring it's teeth.

The girl on the right didn't waver when she turned to her friend and muttered, "What a surprise, the girl with the psycho family has a psycho bodyguard."

Maddie felt her fist involuntarily balling up and unclenching once again. Both girls seemed to notice this, scoffing and giggling as they began walking away. Without hesitation, petite slayer reached and grabbed the collar of the girl's jacket, yanking her back. The girl had stiffened and let out a tiny yelp in surprise as Madeline hissed out, "You should start thinking before you speak while I'm still allowing you to have the _ability _to speak."

Her upper hand didn't seem to last all that long though as another voice rang out in the hallway. "Miss Hayes!" It was Maddie's turn to stiffen up as Mister Harris came into view, with the same cold stare his usually wore. "Although I'm not particularly shocked that someone with your aptitude is resorting to violence, I feel it's my duty to inform you that brute force will not be tolerated anywhere on school property."

Maddie stared defiantly at the man for an extra second before begrudgingly letting the girl go. The girl spun around and stumbled away, pointing at the angry brunette accusingly as her friend hid behind her. "She- She _threatened _me!"

"I was defending-" Maddie turned back to the lockers where Allison had been standing, finding the area empty. Her shoulders slumped in defeat as she turned back to the unamused and expectant Chemistry teacher. A sigh passed from her lips and she rolled her eyes before sending him a flat look. "They were making fun of my friend. I stepped in."

"Well, considering there's only three people here and two of them are clearly terrified of you," Harris began motioning to the girls without looking at them. "I'm inclined to believe them. Do you know what that means, Miss Hayes?"

Maddie shrugged. "Should I?"

"Detention. Now."

The slayer opened her mouth to say something but, alas, it clamped shut once more. There was no getting out of this that she could possible think of on such short notice. Her jaw clenched and she gave a short nod. Mister Harris gave an infuriatingly sarcastic 'after you' motion in the direction of his classroom and Maddie hesitantly obliged. It was a short walk but seemed like ages with her teacher in tow. Once she made her way through the door to the chemistry classroom, she took a brief look around and immediately noticed the room had not been empty.

There, at the table closest to the door, was the instantly familiar pale, nerdy boy she seemed to be finding everywhere lately. Maddie frowned as Stiles noticed her as well with a curious glance.

"Seat closest to the window, Miss Hayes," Mister Harris said, bringing back their attention to him. "Oh, and both of you? Do get comfortable. I suspect we'll be seeing quite a bit of each other this semester."

* * *

He was a horrible human being. The Mister Harris that Maddie knew was nowhere near this...sinister. Detention was, as she understood, supposed to end much earlier that this. It had been nearly an hour and a half since she had taken her seat and she had quietly watched Stiles attempt to leave to no avail. In fact, when it was time to leave, Mister Harris hadn't said a word but instead gathered his thing, got up and left. The two had waited there for nearly five minutes before bolting.

"So, you're not going?" Stiles asked from the driver's seat of his jeep, the same stupid jeep she had become oh so familiar with as of late.

"No, I'm not going," said Maddie. Her head snapped over in his direction. "_Why_ is everyone asking me that?"

Stiles revved the engine and sped out of the school parking lot. "I don't know, because it's friend etiquette 101?"

Maddie blinked and gave the boy an odd – and yet equally annoyed – stare. "What?"

"You and Allison are friends, right?"

"I don't know. I guess." She caught sight of his slightly dead pan gaze and sighed. "Ugh. Yes, okay? We're friends!"

In between steering, he began gesturing emphatically. "And you know what friends do? Be there for each other! And this might've escaped your keen slayer senses but you're pretty much doing the opposite."

Guilt once again churned in her stomach as Maddie folded her arms and looked away, her eyes absently watching the passing scenery. Five long minutes passed between them as she idly drummed her fingers on her arm and Stiles constantly switched his attention from the road to the girl in the passenger seat. She had to be honest with herself; she was being rather difficult but stood by her reasoning. Allison's mother and father did not like her in the slightest and attending the funeral of a woman she didn't like in the slightest didn't seem all that appropriate.

Surely it had nothing to do with the fact that she had never actually attended a funeral. Not a real one, at least.

And the one time she _almost_ did…

She shook the thought out of her head and it was immediately replaced with that same pained expression Allison wore before Maddie had approached the two girls from earlier. Her aunt was gone, she'd been lied to all of her life, and her best friend was missing – possibly a monster somewhere out there, about to be captured._ Or worse._ She chewed on her lip in thought, or perhaps out of nerves and sunk lower in her seat.

"…I don't _own_ funeral clothes."

Stiles did a double take before his eyes softened a bit and fought the triumphant smile that threatened to spread across his face. "C'mon, you're wearing all black! You'll fit in just fine."

Maddie glowered at the boy threateningly. She was seriously beginning to hate when he was right.

* * *

Reporters everywhere.

Cameras.

Lights flashing.

It was absolutely horrific.

Maddie had since left the jeep and Stiles, who had gone around back to hide with Scott who was presumably there as well. Now, the petite brunette found herself fighting through the crowd to enter the cemetery – the very same cemetery she tended to frequent on her dull as dirt patrols. She thought she had just passed the boy from earlier, the one Allison had spoken to, but she passed it off as coincidence. She had more important matters to attend to, anyway.

Once she hopped over the gate, she began to rush over to the small group of people surrounding the open grave. Her nerves, for some reason, seemed to jump from her stomach to her throat. She hadn't even noticed that she was fiddling with her hands until she looked down and clenched both at her side. As she reached the rest of them with no further issues, she reached out and tapped the girl ahead of her with the pretty chestnut hair on the shoulder.

Allison jumped and spun around, eyes wide. Maddie attempted a comforting smile, but failed miserably as she gave a small wave. Allison, on the other hand, gave the girl a wide, grateful smile in return before engulfing her in a tight hug. "Thank you so much."

"You should, ah, really be thanking Stiles. He kind of talked me into this," Maddie said, awkwardly returning the hug with a pat on the back. "Or don't thank him. He's kind of annoying when he thinks he's right."

Allison laughed quietly and let go before motioning for Maddie to take a seat. As they both sat down, Chris Argent took notice of Maddie's presence. He gave her a slight nod before turning his attention to the entrance of the cemetery. In the distance was an aged man, balding with a clean cut crown of white hair. His eyes were cold and the frown that lined his face was perhaps his most prominent feature, as it seemed as though it had been for longer than Maddie could possibly fathom.

The man made his way over and stiffly hugged Chris before crossing in front of both Allison and Maddie to hug Victoria. Finally, he stopped in front of Allison with what might be considered a kind smile. No. No, it wasn't kind. There was something…off about it.

"Do you remember me?" he asked, his tone oddly pleasant. Allison vaguely nodded before both the man's and Chris' eyes shot over to the far side of the field of tombstones. Something moved. Maddie kept her mouth shut, knowing exactly what it was and wishing she didn't. The old man's attention went back to the youngest Argent. "Considering I haven't seen you since you were three, I don't suppose I can assume you'd call me grandpa."

Maddie paled a bit as it was Allison's turn to attempt a smile, something she also failed at.

"So, if it's comfortable, call me Gerard for the time being," he continued. There was a pause before he smiled and added, "But I'd prefer grandpa."

He didn't acknowledge Maddie whatsoever. Not a look or a word in her direction. Instead, which was certainly worse, he took seat beside her in the only open chair.

The service dragged on as each member of the family said kind words on Kate's behalf. Brave, strong-willed, gone too soon. All the same words, over and over. It wasn't only uncomfortable, it was tiresome. It didn't help that she noted Scott and Stiles being pulled away by the Sheriff, which wasn't particularly surprising. What it did mean, though, was that she was all alone once again with these…people. A true pack of wolves surrounding her. There was no escape.

Once the service was over everyone stood and Maddie followed in suit. Even when they were entering the cars, the slayer seemed to be cornered into accepting a ride as well.

By the time they arrived at the Argents', the sun was almost completely set. Allison had yawned and retired to her room and just as Maddie was about to do the same, she was stopped by a hand.

Her eyes widened when she discovered it was Gerard's hand that had stopped her. He smiled politely but, like Kate, there was something else in it – malice, perhaps. Whatever it was, it filled Maddie with a sense of dread as he spoke. "You, my dear, will be joining us this evening."

Maddie took a moment to find her voice as her unease grew. She threw a glance at Chris, who didn't seem very pleased with this arrangement either. "…For what?"

Gerard's smile grew, which turned the slayer's unease into panic. "For the hunt."

* * *

The woods were quiet, dark, and just as lovely as they were unsettling. To be fair, it wasn't actually the woods that were unsettling Madeline.

No, not the woods.

It was the people in the woods – the people she was traveling with.

Behind her were three or four hunters she wasn't familiar with; ahead of her were Chris and Gerard. Chris carried a gun, as he normally did. That wasn't the part that unsettled her. It was the bag Gerard was carrying - he hobbled through the thick trees with it. Whatever he was carrying, it had to be uncommonly heavy.

Maddie, in the center of all of these men, carried herself as she normally would. Head up, eyes straight ahead, back stiff – this was her general reaction to fear.

She was beginning to wish she was back in her temporary room at the Argents' home or back in that sleazy motel room or, hell, stuck in that stupid blue jeep-

She was also going to pretend she didn't just think that.

On the other hand, it was still better than this.

"So! The Slayer!" Gerard began virtually out of nowhere at all. "The most revered of hunters! It's _remarkable_ to see one after all this time!"

Maddie stayed silent as they walked through the wooded area.

"You know, I _knew _a slayer once! Long before your time, of course," he went on amiably. "Fantastic reflexes! And that strength and prowess in battle…it's certainly a sight to see. She put my most skilled brothers to shame! Truly a magnificent specimen!"

She was gritting her teeth. He spoke about slayers like exotic animals more than human beings. Still, her mouth stayed shut even as her emotions stirred. Her rage settled and her fear rose once more as she heard something in the distance – fighting, growling. She sucked in a shaky breath.

Gerard had turned and for the first time, looked her dead in the eye. His smile had vanished. "I expect the same from you."

There was yelp of pain and every head turned in the direction of it. In a flash, everyone went running with Maddie trailing behind. Her nerves were going haywire now as her fear throttled her, making it harder and harder to breathe. In no time at all, she found herself in a clearing with the rest of the hunters as something up head flailed helplessly. As she neared the creature, she realized that it wasn't quite so helpless to begin with. Strung up by it's wrists was a werewolf fighting to free itself.

It growled as Chris got closer, snapping at him with its canines. Chris instantly pulled out a metal rod and jabbed firmly into the wolf's torso as electricity coursed through him. Maddie's insides twisted painfully at the scream the creature let out. The wolf's face shifted to an ordinary man's visage and suddenly, the word helpless sprang to Maddie's mind once again. She stayed stock still as the hunter interrogated the man.

"Who are you?" he asked. The man stayed silent. "What are you _doing_ here?"

The frightened man shook his head. "Nothing. Nothing, I swear."

"You're not from here, are you?" Chris hardly waited for a response before his voice boomed throughout the clearing. "ARE YOU?!"

"No," the man finally answered. "No, I came- …I came looking for the Alpha. I heard he was here, that's all." Her eyes widened at the answer before he continued on. "Look, I didn't do anything! I didn't hurt anyone! No one living! He wasn't alive in the ambulance! He wasn't, I swear!"

The was a short lived ease to Maddie's nerves before another voice echoed through the woods – Gerard's. "Gentlemen! Take a look at a rare sight! You want to tell them what we've caught?"

"An Omega," Chris answered as he stared the creature down.

"The lone wolf!" Gerard went on. "Possibly kicked out of his own pack or the survivor of a pack that was hunted down…or maybe even murdered. Possibly alone by his own choice." The Argent patriarch examined the wolf with great interest and amusement. "Certainly not a wise choice."

Gerard went over to the bag he had been carrying and revealed a large, two-handed sword. He turned to Maddie in that moment as he unsheathed it. "Would you like to do the honors?"

Maddie's brow furrowed as her body froze. "…what?"

Gerard watched her for only a moment as if he had been expecting this reaction. "As I am about to demonstrate…" He gripped the sword tightly as he reached the helpless man. "…an Omega _rarely_ survives on his own!"

In one fell swoop, Gerard's sword cut through the man smoothly and the man's lower half dropped to the ground. Pieces of organs dangled and dripped blood from the open wound as the man's head went limp.

Maddie's mouth hung open and her brain had gone numb. The man had been frightened and helpless – innocent as far as they knew. Yet, he had just been severed at the torso. He still hung there by his wrists, bleeding profusely. She had seen people die before – and she had certainly seen innocents murdered. Never like this. _Never_…by someone whose side she was on. She felt like she was going to be sick.

She could hardly even hear the men in front of her shout about the code. The code, the god damned code.

"From now one these things are just bodies waiting to be cut in half. Are you listening? Because I don't care if they're wounded and weak. Or seemingly harmless - begging for their life with the promise that they will never, ever hurt anyone. Or some desperate, lost soul with no idea what they're getting into."

_This can't be happening. No, this isn't right! This…this…I have to…_

"We find them. We kill them."

Maddie's horrified gaze turned to the old man, and for a moment, she felt as helpless as the man who had just been killed right before her eyes.

"We kill them all!"

And in the moment, she wanted to run and tell Scott or Buffy or _someone_ who would listen. There was no one – only the blood thirsty animals who had forced her into their war.


	21. Chapter Twenty: Instinct

**Chapter Twenty: Instinct**

* * *

Days had passed in a chaotic blur – days of training, impromptu hunts, and silent dinners. Days of only communicating with outside world through her phone – and no word from headquarters. In fact, Scott, Allison, and Stiles had become Maddie's most frequented contacts. She had almost immediately discovered that Scott and Derek had been in the woods the night of the …first hunt, as Derek made it abundantly clear that he did not trust her. Of course the feeling was indeed mutual.

That wasn't the worst part though. With having only those in town to talk to, she knew no one would get why it upset her like it did. No one understood. No one _could_. They hadn't ever had their innocence ripped away like she did at such a young age, only to be replaced with one single, solitary thing – the need to protect. And if she couldn't do that, what was the point? Why go through the trouble of stripping everything else away?

Maddie rested her forehead against the glass as trees passed in blurs of brown and green. Her half-lidded eyes struggled to stay open the morning light shone through the car window, making her typically dark gaze shine an iridescent cherry wood and gold. Alas, it was only the daylight that made her eyes particularly bright that morning, as her mood hardly matched the cloudless sky or the girls chattering away ahead of her.

Although, it was a bit of a comfort in a way.

That wasn't the point.

The point was that Maddie had been worked into the ground the last several days, which didn't help her chronic insomnia – then again, neither did the nightmares. It was always the same thing: trees, severed bodied, the open field, and a hand around her throat. _And something else,_ she thought. Something she couldn't pinpoint that seemed important. Whatever it was, not know what was only looming over her and putting her in an even worse mood.

She couldn't count how many times she had woken up in a cold sweat on the foreign mattress of her temporary bed, trying to catch her breath desperately. It certainly meant something, what with finding the same exact field and watching Gerard cut that man in half. Her senses were telling her something important but she didn't want to be told something important by the universe; she wanted figure out exactly why vampires weren't setting foot in Beacon Hills and get the hell out of dodge with time to spare.

That…didn't seem to be in the cards, though.

The car finally stopped and the sound of the engine left Maddie's ears. She didn't move quite yet though – not until someone shook her. "Don't you _dare_ fall asleep!"

The slayer cringed at the voice and only slightly turned to see a pair of mildly annoyed green eyes peering at her. She grimaced at Lydia and groaned as she sat upright. "I wasn't falling asleep. Calm down."

"I _am _calm," the strawberry blonde shot back, receiving only a pointed look from Maddie in response. Her eyes shot over to Allison in the passenger side seat, who was also giving her a deadpan stare. "What? I am."

Despite the urge to point out Lydia's defensive tone, Maddie simply shook her head disapprovingly and patiently waited for one of the girls to move their seat to let her out of the car. In the end, it was Allison who did so and the three girls began the short walk to school building.

"So, let me just make sure I've got all of this," Maddie began slowly, adjusting her burgundy top under her leather jacket. She had successfully reminded herself to actually wear the nice clothes Lydia had picked out weeks ago, something she was secretly quite proud of. The petite brunette feigned confusion as she looked over at her. "You were somewhere in the woods for two days..."

"And you really don't remember anything?" Allison finished, looking at Lydia as well.

The began climbing the concrete steps as Lydia spoke. "They called it a fugue state, which is basically a way of saying 'we have no idea why you can't remember running through the woods naked for two days'." She sounded so nonchalant about the entire thing that it was almost like it had happened to someone she barely knew instead of her. "But personally, I don't care. I lost nine pounds."

Allison let out a small, appeasing laugh and Maddie stayed silent for a while, giving her friends a strange look before merely shaking her head. The stare Allison gave Lydia suddenly turned worried. "Are you ready for this?"

The confidence on Lydia's face was paper thin, matching her voice. "Please. It's not like my Aunt's a serial killer."

Maddie and Allison exchanged concerned glances as Lydia pushed open the heavy front door of Beacon Hills High School. The three walked in, both Madeline and Allison trailing behind their friend before Lydia came to a halt. Both brunettes stopped in their tracks as well as every single person in the halls stopped and looked at Lydia. For a second, and only a second, she looked positively mortified. Allison leaned toward her to say quietly, "...maybe it's the nine pounds."

"I thought it was the whole 'naked in the woods' thing," Maddie responded rather with no reservation, receiving a nudge to the ribs at the comment. She looked over to see a chastising half-glare from Allison, which she promptly responded to with an eyeroll.

Only a handful of seconds passed before Lydia did a defiant hair flip and power walked through the masses of people, followed shortly by Allison and Maddie.

* * *

The feeling of the school day had become like many others and suddenly Madeline found herself dragging herself from class to class like any other student. As it turned out, she seemed to excel at History and Math, but didn't quite have the same grasp on things like Chemistry and Economics. The reading part of English was simple enough, it was the drawing conclusions from what she read part that seemed to trouble her. Gym was the easiest, by far - and for obvious reasons. Although, she did tend to down play her abilities, whether that was by keeping pace with her slower classmates or choosing partners who needed more assistance.

For instance, she found herself going out of her way to partner up with Erica, the blonde girl from before. They weren't necessarily friends or anything, but they did have a silent understanding that generally consisted of Maddie allowing Erica to do most things on her own.

Alas, gym had ended and Maddie found herself waiting outside of the boys' locker room for Scott and Stiles. She'd received a strange text from Scott only moments before that had only said '**More problems**', which was just about enough to make her panic. Leaning idly against the brick wall, she picked at her finger nails and attempted to look as casual as possible. Unfortunately, it looked more as if she was manically cleaning out her nails than anything else.

Minutes passed by slowly before she caught sight of Scott bolting out of the locker room - and nearly flattening her with the door. By the time, she shouted "Scott! What's going-", he was gone. Her brows furrowed as her forehead creased in confusion. She was about to run after him before she actually was shoulder checked by the locker room door swinginig open. It wasn't massively painful, but annoying nonetheless - just like the person who had opened the door. She moved from behind the door fully and glared at the boy.

"Holy -" Stiles began, cutting himself off when he saw what - or more appropriately who - the door had hit. His eyes widened. "Oh god! Maddie! Are you alright?"

Maddie rolled her shoulder, vaguely remembering her first encounter with the Alpha and the dislocated shoulder she walked away with. The door hurt only slightly, especially in comparison. "I'm fine. It's just a door."

"Sorry, I was-" Once again, he seemed to cut himself off. "Did you see Scott?"

Maddie nodded, adjusting her backpack. "Yeah, he nearly killed me with that door."

"Wait, what?!"

"He came barreling out of the locker room and I apparently made a bad call standing there," she said, nodding to the wall by the door. She folded her arms and her expression almost immediately returned to concern. "So, what's with the ominous text? What's going on?"

"Aside from Gerard Argent running the school and Derek's abuse of his Alpha powers?" He shrugged, although the look on his face told a different story altogether. He was panicked and tense - even mildly accusatory with the look he was currently throwing her. "Not much."

Maddie had been keenly aware of Gerard new position as principal of the school; in fact, she had been furious when she was told by Allison's dad. Of course, she didn't show it to the old man. Something about him was absolutely terrifying, aside from his fanatical hatred of werewolves. She had not felt safe in that house before, but now she felt even worse - she felt _caged_. She narrowed her eyes at him. "Allison's father knows I affiliate with you and Scott. There was no way they were going to tell me beforehand."

He hesitantly nodded. "Yeah, well...I guess we have bigger things to worry about anyway."

"The Derek thing?" She folded her arms and lowered her voice. "What did he do now?"

"He turned someone - at least we're pretty sure he did." Stiles replied quietly as well. He looked around quickly, scanning the hallway before his eyes landed back on Maddie. "There's another werewolf in the school. He might've killed his dad but we're not sure. All we know is that he's on his way to the station now."

"What?!" she blurted out, instantaneously clasping her hand over mouth. She looked around again and quietly repeated herself. "...what? Wait, who? A student?"

Stiles half-shrugged at the question. "Some kid named Isaac. He's on the lacrosse team."

"Isaac?" she cut him him off immediately. "You don't mean... quiet, cemetery kid Isaac?"

There was a short pause from Stiles as his light brown eyes narrowed slightly. "Whoa, hey – you know him? How do you know he works at the cemetery? Have you two met?"

"Obviously," she said with an eye roll. At Stiles' confused expression, she deadpanned, "It's a cemetery, dumbass. If vampires starting popping up out of nowhere, where do you think I'd start looking?"

Stiles opened his mouth to say something but quickly closed it again and begrudgingly nodded in understanding. He began walking away from the locker room door finally, with Maddie keeping up the pace. "Okay, so you _do _know the guy."

"Just barely," Maddie replied with a shrug. It wasn't a lie; she had only spoken to him once - something she was quickly regretting and mentally kicking herself for now.

He gave her a strange glance as they turned a corner. "Wait, what do you mean just barely?"

Maddie glared at him once again and adjusted the strap of her messenger bag. "I _mean_ I kept showing up in the cemetery every night with a_ bag of concealed weapons_ and he'd be there. What was I supposed to do? Ignore him?" There was a prolonged silence that fell between them as they walked. The slayer took the moment to wonder about this kid - Isaac. She was already kicking herself for not saying more to the boy, for knowing nothing more than his name. "So what do we do?"

Stiles sighed and stopped finally in the center of the corridor. "You go back to the Argents. Something tells me our sword toting principal isn't going to give him a slap on the wrist and friendly warning if they find him." That's when he paused for a brief moment and eyed the girl beside him cautiously. "And did you just ask me for advice on what to do?"

Maddie stopped as well, looking taken aback and possibly a bit horrified. "_No_," she shot back, her voice hesitant for just a moment. They both stood there in awkward silence for another several seconds. The petite brunette drummed her finger impatiently on the strap of her bag before finally speaking again. "So. The Argents. I'll stick with them for the time being, slow them down if I can."

"…Right, yeah. Okay." He shifted uncomfortably and began to walk off when suddenly he turned back around. "We'll text you if anything new comes up."

Her arms fell to her sides as she raised any eyebrow at the boy. "Wait, what exactly are you doing?"

"Taking the fall," he replied with a heavy sigh before walking off yet again and into Mister Harris' classroom, "yet again."

Maddie watched him enter the room and let out a frustrated breath as she shook her head and headed towards the exit of the school. She wasn't entirely sure what he meant by that or why she cared to give it a second thought for that matter. Still, she pushed her thoughts toward more pressing matters. Tailing the Argents had been practically all she'd been doing the past few weeks and it was certainly becoming losing battle. Going with them was doing nothing good; perhaps there was another way to go about it.

She slowed her pace for a moment as she found herself back outside. The cemetery was most likely empty at the moment and the Argents wouldn't say a word if she did a little digging of her own. _After all, I'm their prized pet._

She smirked, feeling a rush of arrogance flood her thoughts as she descended the stairs of the school and walked in a direction that most assuredly was not towards Allison's house.

* * *

Her phone had buzzed several different times but she still refused to look at it.

She had searched the cemetery top to bottom with no luck, no clues. The soil was still soft and wet from the weather the previous night and made her boots sink lower in the grass and her nose filled the scent of rain. It might have been peaceful to anyone else but made _her_ trip there utterly pointless.

She had already resigned to leaving the graveyard and heading back to the Argents when she happened upon some plastic barricades and yellow caution tape sealing an alleyway after a few blocks. Although the police tape barred off the alleyway from the public, anyone who had been on the scene investigating had since scattered. Without hesitation, she ducked under it and allowed herself to scan the blacktop. At the far end of the alley was another street with shattered glass littering the curb. Maddie knelt down and gingerly picked up an interesting shard that was dotted with dried blood.

It was then she noticed something else strange on the ground – specks of white, or at least something that had dried into tiny specks of white. Something about them was unsettling but she couldn't quite place why, even as she studied them closer. She crouched down and leaned in to touch one when a voice shot her back to reality.

"_Hey!_ What the hell are you doing?!"

Maddie spun around to see a uniformed officer fast walking towards her. She instantly dropped the piece of glass and ran as fast as she could in the other direction.

Once she got a decent distance away, she finally slowed and headed in the direction of her temporary residence. The sun had since set when she finally neared the large house with several equally large cars in the driveway, including one she didn't quite recognize. She frowned deeply as she found herself in front the entrance, hesitating to open the door. On the other side of the brick wall, she caught the muffled sound of Chris and Gerard's voices speaking in low, angry tones.

She made out Chris' voice first. "…Is the next step killing him?"

"The next step is eliminating the threat," came Gerard's reply. "Do we have proof?"

"I haven't been in history class for a while but I'm pretty sure straight up genocide hasn't worked out too often."

"Do we have proof or not?"

"Not irrefutable…but not insignificant. The driver's side door of Lahey's car was pried off."

"Pried off?"

"…_Ripped_ off."

Maddie felt her stomach drop. The crime scene… _The shards of glass were…but…_She had already been reaching for the doorknob when she stopped altogether. There it was – the hesitation. It was so tiny that she almost ignored it altogether but her memories caught up to her almost instantly, plaguing her with words she had hoped for so long would never resurface.

_"Trust your instincts."_

_"But what if my instincts are total crap and I screw up?"_

_"We're slayers! Our instincts are our strongest trait, Mads! You know it and I know it. If you're using too much of that brain of yours and not of slayer instincts, **that's** when you hesitate."_

The young slayer wanted to fight it but her hand still backed away from the doorknob once again and she took a step back. This wasn't right. This wasn't what she should be doing. She couldn't stop them by joining them, even just for appearances. Her thoughts were spinning around her head still, meshing with unpleasant memories. She took another step backwards, away from the Argents' home.

_"Is that bad?"_

_"It's the worst – like, _**_the _**_worst thing you could do."_

She heard someone coming just on the other side and finally had the sense to run around the corner of the house, jumping over the porch rail and out of sight. From the bushes, she watched an unrecognizable man step outside in a very similar uniform to the deputy that had chased her away from the crime scene.

_"Ya see, when you hesitate before you do something but do it anyway, your slayer senses are basically telling you somethin's wrong and **you're** betraying them. You know what happens when you betray the best instincts in the whole wide world?"_

_"What?"_

The man got into his car and sped away, allowing Maddie to finally stand up again and take a deep breath. She watched as he rounded the corner, squinted at the license plate. Memorizing it.

_"People die. Innocent people. All because **you **weren't sure. And you don't want that, right?"_

"...No," she muttered to herself through her tightened jaw, balling her fists. In a flash, she began sprinting, following what was left of her instincts and the car that was getting away.

* * *

**A/N: Stay tuned! The next chapter should be full of fluff. ;D**


	22. Chapter Twenty One: Intrigued

**A/N: You're welcome. ;D**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty One: Intrigued**

* * *

"What do you mean don't worry about it?"

"I _mean_ don't worry about it," Allison repeated over the phone. Maddie had finally answered the constantly buzzing device and was greeted with a panicked Allison explaining things Maddie already knew. Now, the slayer found herself stalking the car from before as it sat at a red light. In seconds, she heard her friend's voice once again. "I'll take care of the deputy. You go help the others."

"The others? As in…?" Maddie trailed off curiously.

"Stiles and Derek; they're heading to the Sheriff's Department."

_Why did I even ask?_ Maddie thought, grimacing. "Fine. Just be careful."

"You too," Allison replied quickly and even a bit agitatedly before the line went dead.

The traffic light switched from red to green and the red SUV sped off, leaving Madeline behind in the dust. It was infuriating; she was taking orders from everyone anymore. Her fists clenched and unclenched rhythmically for a moment until the car was completely out of sight. She checked her phone for the time, not that it mattered all that much. She could get there in time - that was no question. Hell, she could probably beat Stiles' jeep there if she really wanted to. Honestly though, she was in less of a hurry with Derek being there and not only because he could handle the situation. Mostly, she found Derek difficult to work with and tad bit too concerned with self-preservation.

It didn't help that the first thing she heard about him was a lie that Scott told, so maybe she was being a little biased.

Either way, she was only a mile or two from the station and the least she could do was fast walk the rest of the way there, which was exactly what she did. Regardless of her enhanced abilities, tailing a car on foot was incredibly tiring and walking seemed like the smarter of her remaining options – with a bit of jogging to keep from falling too far behind. Along the way, she had attempted to get in contact with Stiles, who hadn't answered his phone. This should've led to some unease but instead only mildly irritated her.

She spotted the blue jeep in front of the Sheriff's department, unfortunately empty. She huffed agitatedly and directed her attention to the inside of the building when something shining on the ground caught her attention. Kneeling down, she got closer look at what it was streaked across the pavement and brushed her index finger across the cement before examining it. Her eyes widened. Blood. Fresh blood, trailing into the station. Her heart began pumping quicker as she stood and tore into the building.

It was only a few steps before she stopped, finding Derek speaking politely to the pretty female deputy behind the counter. They both turned to her as she made her entrance dramatically clear. She gaped, at a loss of words. "I…uh…"

Without hesitation, she sprinted to the back vaguely hearing a panicked '_hey!_' from the woman. Her boots skidded across the floor and she narrowing missed a few walls thanks to the slickness of the blood that stained the tiles. After turning another corner she found a deputy – the same one from that had left the Argents – carrying Stiles away and clasping a hand over the boy's mouth. Both the fake officer and Stiles caught sight of Maddie at the other end of the hall, giving Stiles a fraction of a second to pull the fire alarm as they passed it.

Not another moment passed before Maddie went charging towards them, leaping over Stiles to tackle the hunter around the neck and into another room. Her shoulder hit the floor hard but she got up as quickly as she could anyway, taking a defensive stance. Both Stiles and the hunter where still on the ground, although Stiles was fumbling to stand again, grabbing hold of the threshold to steady himself. The fake deputy rolled onto his stomach and shook his head, clearly dazed. As his eyes focused he looked ahead to something behind Maddie, his expression becoming horrified as he laid there. Maddie's eyebrows knitted together in confusion and she hesitantly looked behind her at the open cell.

Before she had time to react, she was flung into the wall, her head hitting it roughly. The disoriented hunter had attempted to stand but, from the little that the slayer could make out, had been grabbed and forced onto the desk before being thrown into the wall across from Maddie. The hunter tried to take out something sharp it looked like, but whatever had attacked them grabbed his wrist and roared threateningly.

Maddie, who had found herself on the ground, kipped up just in time to see the hunter's head smashed into the wall and his body crumple into a heap on the ground. The thing that had been in his hand rolled to the ground. This time, Maddie had gotten a better look at it – a syringe. She was about to attack the creature when she saw Derek enter the room and step on the syringe. He looked at the other werewolf and then at her and Stiles. The beta began to move forward to attack when a deafen roar sounded from Derek. Maddie covered her ears to no avail but watched as the beta wolf cowered to the ground.

The boy raised head to look at Derek, his glassy blue eyes looking at the two people standing in the room. Isaac was still gathering his bearings and Maddie didn't expect him to recognize her in the slightest.

"How'd you do that?" she heard Stiles asked.

Derek, with an air of cockiness, turned to Stiles with a slight grin. "I'm the Alpha."

In a matter of seconds, the two wolves had made their escape, leaving Maddie and Stiles alone in the room with the unconscious hunter and the blaring alarm. Maddie's shirt was slightly torn and she had the feeling that she was bleeding but had more pressing matters to attend to, including Sheriff Stilinski running in and giving the two teens a stunned look. Maddie looked like a deer caught in the headlights while Stiles looked around at the mess that had gone down before pointing at the unconscious man on the floor. "Uh…he did it."

* * *

After making up an excuse about being at the wrong place at the wrong time, Maddie had been given a warning and Stiles had been promptly yelled at by his father. He was then told to get Maddie home immediately with no side trips and to also head home right after that. Stiles nodded and said a few indiscernible words before nodding to the slayer, cuing for them to leave.

They walked to the car in utter silence, getting in and getting on the road without a word passing between them. In wasn't the typical awkward silence of one of them being angry or an argument that ended with a stalemate. The silence was strangely comfortable as the only sound that could be heard was the hum of the engine and trees whooshing by.

Stiles was parked around the corner from the Argents' home when they finally ended up speaking to each other.

"Do you think we did the right thing?" she asked, absently.

"Yeah, of course." He paused. "I mean, I'm pretty sure."

She looked out the window at a random unknown house. "There's going to be more."

"More what?"

"Wolves. People that Derek's going to turn." Stiles sighed and looked at his steering wheel. "Even if Isaac didn't..._kill _anyone, we don't know what kind of people are going to be next… if they're going to be too dangerous to handle."

Stiles didn't answer for a while and when he did, it caught Maddie off guard entirely. "So…eight years of this, huh?"

"What?" she asked, turning to him with wide, confused eyes.

He gestured all around him. "All of this. Supernatural stuff. Monsters."

It wasn't really eight years; she wasn't allowed to go on missions until only about two years ago. Still, Stiles didn't need to know that. It still felt like eight years regardless. "Yeah. Eight years."

"Is it always like this?"

"If I said no, would you believe me?"

"No, but I don't think you'd say it if it was a lie." He shrugged slightly. "Especially if it was to make me feel better. No offense."

"None taken. You're probably right."

"Hey, uh…" he began, pointing to her forehead. "You got a…" He tapped his own hairline.

She raised her hand and gently touched the corresponding spot on her own forehead before bring it back down. Blood stained her fingertip and she sighed. "I thought so."

"All part of the job?"

"It's not really a…" She stopped herself and looked over at him. "Yeah…part of the job."

He looked at her bloody fingertip and back at her for a moment longer before he blinked a few times and shook his head slightly to jolt himself back to life. "I, uh, have a first aid somewhere. Probably. I think." He turned his attention to the back of the jeep. "I mean, I should – if you wanted a bandage or hydrogen peroxide to clean that up."

She raised an eyebrow. "You just…_have_ a first aid kit in your car?"

"Have you _seen_ the people I hang out with? The danger I'm in daily? The _constant _life threatening situations?" he asked incredulously, but with a grin still spreading across his face. "If someone should have one, it should be me."

"Or maybe something more heavy duty?"

"With the way that you punch, probably."

She narrowed her eyes on him. "I wouldn't punch you if you didn't deserve it." He laughed at her and shook his head, causing her to frown slightly. "What?"

He looked back at her for a moment, a playful glint in his eyes. "Nothing. Forget it. So – did you need that first aid kit or not?"

She wrinkled her nose and shook her head. "No." There was a long pause before she spoke again. "...Thanks though. For the offer."

"It's only fair after you tackled that guy."

"And saved your ass. Again," she muttered, the corners of her mouth turning upwards in half a smile.

"My ass would've been fine, thank you. Most likely." He eyed her for a moment and pointed triumphantly. "Aha!"

Her eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "What?"

"You smiled."

"So?"

"You, like, never smile. Ever." He pointed to her. "But just now, you did - because of me. Which, by the way, is proof you don't hate me. I made you smile and you know it."

She frowned. Deeply. "You're so weird."

"And you're so serious. Smile. Lighten up a little. It won't kill you."

She rolled her eyes and opened the door of the jeep. "I'm gonna go."

"I'm not gonna let this go, you know that." He grinned at her – that usual goofy grin he gave Scott. "You won't be able to live this down."

"Goodnight, Stiles." She swung her legs over and landed on the sidewalk, her lips pursed to ensure she wasn't affected by his ridiculous demeanor.

"Smile more, Mads!" he replied loudly.

She slammed the door shut in his face and began walking away. "_Goodnight_, Stiles."

"Night!" was the last thing she heard before the engine revved. Her feet stopped and she turned back to look at the jeep that was driving off into the night. She finally relaxed her jaw and stayed there until the car was out of sight, the corner of her mouth twitching slightly upward against her will. She violently shook her head, so hard that it made her a little dizzy. Yet and still, she headed back to the Argent's home to try again to contact headquarters and fail miserably at getting some much needed rest.

* * *

**x x x**

* * *

She was pretty.

_No, wait. No. Well, yeah, she is but..._

It was the first thing he noticed about her the day they met. Despite her glares, thick makeup, and scathing demeanor, he thought she was pretty.

Okay, understatement.

Then the night in the school happened and not only was she pretty - _seriously need to rethink the word pretty_ \- but she was intriguing. Well, not intriguing. Suspicious. So intriguing in a way - a bad way, at that. That wasn't the point. The point was, whether in a good or bad way, he found himself looking at her. A lot. More than he thought he should and enough for her to start noticing.

"What?"

He blinked a few times and began gesturing with his hands between 'uhs' and 'ums'. "There's just...something in your hair."

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion and she ran her fingers lightly through her chestnut strands. "...thanks."

He gave a thumbs up and an awkward nod. _That was bad. No, that was awful.__Damn it._

Why was he just staring at her? It wasn't the same type of staring as he did with Lydia. Not that unrequited longing he had in his eyes every single time the strawberry blonde walked in the room. No, that wasn't it. He did a quick side glance at Maddie again. _Nope. Definitely not that._

Then what was it?

Admiration? _No. Maybe. Wait, no._

Admiration denoted some level of like. And he definitely didn't like her. They weren't even really friends. They were more like...coworkers. People forced together by circumstance. You didn't have to like each other to work together. He didn't have to enjoy being around her to fight monsters.

Not that he hated it. Not really.

He _did_hate the punching but aside from that, she got things done. Sure, she barrels through guns a-blazing, but she had a knack for it. It worked for her in an odd way. Also, she floored the two people he stood the least with little effort - he certainly didn't hate that. Also, he enjoyed having someone on their side that had some grasp of the situation. A walking, talking supernatural encyclopedia with all the power of a werewolf but without the pesky bloodlust.

Besides, she seemed to enjoy helping people. It seemed to be the only thing she actually liked to do - or, at least, didn't mind doing. And, hell, she was good at it.

She smiled over at Erica during gym class. Not the thin, forced smiles she gave to everyone else, but a wide smile. They were talking about something he couldn't decipher from this distance. Whatever it was, she ended up laughing about it. It was a short, stifled laugh, granted, but a laugh nonetheless.

He wanted to know what they were talking about. He didn't _want_to want to know - which was confusing and irritating. Still, he wanted to know what on Earth made Maddie - first runner up in the _Derek Hale Most Serious Person Ever_ contest - laugh.

He thought back to the previous night, when she smiled at him. She _never_smiled at him. She never smiled at _anyone_\- except for Erica, apparently. And the only way he got her to smile was the idea that she saved his life - again. Like he had to be nice to her because he owed her one (or several). Like she got the better of him.

She smiled again. Something told him it wasn't the same when she spoke to Erica and he wasn't sure why. It was nice to see though. It was wide and toothy and made her nose scrunch up. It made her seem so much younger than how she usually carried herself.

And it was to someone who she hardly knew, someone who had no idea what she was. It was baffling. How could she show more of herself to a total stranger than the people who she doesn't have to hide anything from?

More importantly, why did he care? It was just Maddie. Just impatient, angry, violent Maddie – with her stupid sighs and eyerolls and folded arms. And her messy brown hair always fell into her face and she didn't even care. And her weirdly dark brown eyes that might as well be a soulless black considering the only time she looked at him was when she was glaring.

Most importantly, why was he freaking _staring_at her again?

His eyes darted away and he decided not to let his eyes wander over to her again for the rest of class – and they didn't. She hadn't paid any mind to him anyway, which was fair after Erica's panic attack on the rock wall. There it was again: worry. The bossy brunette had immediately rushed over to her and glared threateningly at those who laughed. Maddie looked extensively concerned as she led Erica away from the crowd to talk to her. Then again, she was a pathological worrier. Always frowning, always upset, and always massively _worried_. That wasn't the bad part per se, the bad part was that her worry was contagious. If someone like a vampire slayer is stressed out about something, odds are it was worth the extra attention. Allison looked particularly worried for her from what Stiles could tell. Not that he wasn't; he hoped they'd both be okay.

Either way there was nothing he could do about it, so he simply went back to the locker room with Scott. It was too late though; now he was equally worried. Or thinking. Thinking about what she would think of him being concerned because _she_ was concerned – and trying not to think of how confusing that concept was. This was only making him annoyed; she was taking up far too much of his headspace. That's not even considering the very confusing – and strangely indecent - dream from the other day, when these thoughts started. At least, that's what he told himself. That was a subject that was he had to constantly remind himself to stay far, far away from. A good way to do so was to talk to Scott, which he found himself doing even now. An even better way was to focus on Lydia, who still managed to claim most of his thoughts – thank god.

"What do you mean tonight's not a good idea?" he asked indignantly.

"I don't know. That thing that we saw last night, Isaac missing, Allison's grandfather. All this stuff happening with Derek, it just - doesn't feel right."

Stiles found this alarming; he also wasn't above begging. "No, you're not backing out. Do you wanna know why? Because you and Allison are obviously having quite a good time together." His voice got faster and more panicked as he went on. "And you know who else wants to have a good time? Stiles! Stiles wants to have a good time - Many, many times. Several times in a row. In several different positions." _With Lydia. Obviously Lydia. Because – does there even need to be a reason? It's Lydia Martin, girl of my dreams, girl I like. _He snapped out of it as he noticed Scott's attention was no longer on the conversation…and his hand was twitching. "Are you even listening to me? What - what is that?"

Scott was off in a flash to the gym once again with Stiles falling behind but heading there as well. Just as he ran through the door, he found Scott catching Erica who had fallen from the rock wall. She was shaking violently as he set her down.

Both Maddie and Allison had rushed over through the crowd, Allison being the calmer of the two. "Put her on her side. Put her on her side." She looked up at her boyfriend, concern etched on her face. "How did you know?"

Scott held onto the blonde's hand tightly as she continued to convulse on the ground.

Maddie was a different story entirely. She stood there, a few feet away and with something very new on her face. _Fear_. Her eyes were wide and positively frightened as she stood there stiffly, watching the scene unfold. She didn't move an inch as people surrounded the area. It was like she was somewhere else entirely, like she had left herself.

Sure, Stiles felt useless but it seemed like something he'd come to term with already. He wasn't so sure Maddie had ever felt that way. He silently wondered if she did – if any slayer ever did. How could someone like that ever know what it's like to be useless?

He inched over to her side. "She'll be okay."

Her head shot up and his eyes were met with wide, childlike ones as she gasped in surprise. Seeing Stiles though, her mouth immediately clamped shut and the wall behind her eyes went up once again. She gruffly nodded before turning back and stood there in silence next to him as he allowed himself to think, if only for a second, what it would be like – what _she_ would be like – if this tough, guarded soldier allowed herself to be Maddie once in a while.

He bet she'd be pretty alright to get to know.


	23. Chapter Twenty Two: Pretend

**Chapter Twenty Two: Pretend**

* * *

_May 2008_

_She didn't know when or why. It felt like it was such a gradual process that maybe she had gone crazy the day she realized it had already happened. Maybe she was crazy to think things were ever different._

_That Monday morning, bleak and foggy like any other, Buffy had walked by Maddie's table where she sat with Marie without so much as a look their way – and it felt **normal**. It felt like she had never gotten to talk to the older slayer at all, like Buffy had never paid her any keen interest that first year or two. Like they were total strangers._

_This hadn't been true – she knew that wasn't true. Maddie, or at least the frightened eight year old that had been found in a little town just west of Chicago, had clung to the blonde's side through everything. From the very moment Buffy had stopped the other girls from attacking her, Maddie found herself constantly enraptured in hero worship and wishing desperately to one day be just like her._

_Now? Not so much._

_Now, as Buffy passed silently and Maddie felt her insides twist up tighter and tighter? It was too late. Not only had the woman ripped her from her real family, she had abandoned her._

_She felt angry, so angry that she failed realize her nails were digging into her palms or that her hands were clenched at all. So angry that she only just noticed how blurry everything had gotten as she tried to see through the tears she was refusing to shed. She was crying again; she was felt like she was always crying about something, which only made her angrier. She absolutely loathed how much of a crybaby she was sometimes._

_A light kick to her foot made her head snap up. Marie smiled at her only slightly; it was a sad smile that muted her usual carefree expression. She wasn't going to talk about it though – she never did. Marie would just flip her wild, blonde hair and shrug, as if nothing ever got to her. "If you pretend hard enough, even you'll believe it eventually" was how she always put it. Maybe that was why Maddie stuck around the girl; around Marie, pretending was easier than breathing most days._

_"Wanna train after breakfast?"_

_Maddie unclenched her fists and smiled slightly. "It's not too early?"_

_Marie gave a nonchalant wave of her hand. She always gestured so much, like she couldn't keep still, even for a moment. "Nah! How else are we gonna be the best of the best?"_

_The thirteen year old brunette tried at a laugh. Since they had begun their unconventional friendship, teaming up was only natural. Sure, Marie talked to every one – and damn, did she have a lot of influence – but she always spoke to Maddie first every day. She always sat with Maddie during meals. She even stayed up late to talk to her. It was never about anything serious – Marie **hated** serious – but it was still nice. And the lanky, tall blonde had helped Maddie train. In the past several years, her form and agility had sharpened near to perfection – perfection being the level of slayer that she held Marie at._

_"Come on, Mads!" Marie shook the younger girl's arm lightly as her wide smile returned. "It's therapeutic or whatever. Besides…" She stood and grabbed her plate, waiting for Maddie to do the same. "We can't rely on me to save both of our asses all the time. Step up, girly."_

_Maddie laughed as she mirrored her friend's action and the walked over to dump their trash. "What? No, no, no…Don't rely on me. We'd be so dead!"_

_"Slayer rule number one: don't die," Marie replied, playfully poking Maddie's should with each word. "Learn it, live it. And one more thing…" She tapped her chin thoughtfully, as if she actually had to think about it._

_Maddie quirked an eyebrow, still smiling. "What?"_

_"Train!" Marie grabbed Maddie's arm and tugged her toward the training room. "C'mon!"_

_Maddie laughed almost hysterically as she allowed herself to be dragged all the way there, grateful to the universe or higher powers or whatever it was that she at least still had a friend like that quirky, blonde ball of energy that was Marie. She didn't know what she would ever do without her._

* * *

The morning had gone at a painstakingly slow pace, with classes dragging on well past Maddie's attention span. There was too much to think about as it was without adding essays and tests on top of it. The slayer was feeling anxious and jittery all through her classes, especially after gym. Of course, that wasn't to say she didn't have a lot to think about and worry over every time she woke up in the Argent household. It was bad enough she felt a certain level of discomfort day to day by just living one door down from Allison.

Allison's room was such a foreign place to Maddie even though it was right down the hall from hers. Not only did she try to avoid it like the plague when she could - she learned that the hard way when she walked in on her and Scott half naked on the bed - but she generally didn't feel comfortable there. Or maybe it was that she generally felt mildly uncomfortable around Allison these days.

During lunch that day, she had casually began talking to the girl. "Weren't we supposed to study for Econ last night?"

Allison snapped out of her reverie, her eyes distant. "Oh, um, I actually went for a run. Sorry."

Nothing about her tone said she was sorry. "For three hours?"

"_Yes_, for three hours," Allison tried to say it jokingly but the way it came out was annoyed. Maddie had given her a strange look and a silent nod before digging her fork into her salad.

"What about tonight?"

Allison was in the middle of taking a drink of water when she looked over at Maddie, eyes wide. She set the bottle down and gave herself a moment to swallow the water before answering. "Actually we have plans tonight."

Maddie paused, processing the information. "…Oh." She wanted to say something more than that – something possibly more articulate. Helping out Allison was enough of an ordeal, but scheduling anything with her between school, her family, and Scott was damn near impossible. There were so many strings of words she could've put together – things about responsibility and hard work – but she felt dangerously close to sounding like a teacher or parent and tried to fill as many of those emotions into that one little 'oh'.

Allison, on the other hand, laughed softly and shook her head before nudging Maddie slightly with her shoulder. "We, Maddie. As in, all of us – _including_ you."

Maddie felt herself begin to ask 'where', when the cafeteria went all but silent. Each set of eyes, one after the other, floated over to the cafeteria entrance and both brunettes followed all of their gazes. Sure enough, a girl had walked in, dressed in black and leather and a smile painted on her deep red lips. She walked in as her cheetah print heels clicked on the linoleum and her blonde curls cascaded down her shoulders.

It was _Erica_.

Maddie's brows furrowed as she watched the girl - the very same girl who had been seizing on the ground just this morning. Her every movement now exuded confidence and – Maddie noted this – a dangerous edge. She felt her chest tighten as a terrible feeling swept through her. There was something not right here, something not natural. The petite slayer found herself hesitantly looking across the cafeteria for some sort of confirmation. Her eyes were met with a shocked looking Lydia and Stiles and the increasingly dark stare coming from Scott.

He must've felt her gaze on him as he turned to Maddie, concern in his eyes, and just as quickly looked away.

Her insides where feeling hollow, like they were scooped out of her completely and she was only left with the gaping wound. Although, it didn't take long for it to start filling up again – only now, with rage. The plastic fork in her hand easily broke in two.

* * *

It lingered on her mind for the rest of the school and even into her time with Allison and Lydia. Old memories, new problems – all of it. The same as before, like her life was on some sort of hellish loop. She was feeling as if she had been forced on some old, decrepit carousel ride in a bad neighborhood and every time she went around, she saw the same terrible things happening but the ride never stopped long enough for her to get off of it. Maybe this was more a result of her horrible sleeping habits – wherein she was not getting any sleep at all. It'd been at least 3 days since she slept more than two hours in a row. She withheld a sigh as she sat on Allison's bed and silently went along with everything the girls were saying, pretending she was listening. Pretending…it was still so easy and she hated it.

Still, she continued. What other option was there?

It wasn't until Allison's father walked in and knocked only loud enough to call their attention that her thoughts came back to reality. He wore the same expression as always – suspicion with a moderate amount of concern. "Headed out?"

Allison's face fell and she slowly walked over to her father. Maddie attempted to listen in but was quickly interrupted.

"So, why exactly are you staying here?"

The slayer's head shot over to Lydia. "What?"

The fairer girl arched an eyebrow curiously. "Why are you staying here? At Allison's?"

"I-it's a mess, really," Maddie replied, forcing an awkward laugh. "…I, ah…I got emancipated. Because of some stuff with my mom." _Playing the role of my mother this evening, Buffy Summers._ "Turns out the Argents are old family friends." _Sort of._ "They're letting me stay to finish up the second semester."

Lydia gave her a strange look and slowly nodded.

"Madeline," they heard from the door as Maddie looked over at the gruff middle aged man. She released her exasperated sigh this time before standing up and walking over to where he stood.

She didn't say 'hello' or 'what' or anything really. She simply followed him out into the hall with her arms folded, annoyed, angry, apprehensive and vulnerable to a cluster of other awful emotions just below her calm exterior. In a way, Chris mirrored this and it made her wonder just how much he was keeping in as well.

"Training," he said simply and quietly.

She shrugged her shoulders and raised an eyebrow. "What about it?"

"When did you train last?"

"I don't know."

"Then _think_ about it."

She narrowed her eyes. "If you didn't notice, I kind of have my hands full."

"Helping Scott?"

"If by that, you mean keeping him away from Allison and all of you so he isn't horribly murdered, then yes. _Helping_ him."

His steely gaze didn't deter. "You need to keep a training regimen."

"And how exactly do you expect me to do that?"

"Get back early."

"Wait, what?"

He sighed and gave her a flat look. "I assume Allison's told you about her own training but she's only just started. So every Tuesday and Thursday night for an hour, you can start running drills."

_Allison's training?_ Her eyebrows knitted together curiously and somewhat indignantly. "You're _not_ my Watcher-"

"And your Watcher _isn't here_," he cut her off. "This is a dangerous time. We need _everyone_ at their best."

She clenched her jaw and glared at the man bitterly, knowing that no wouldn't be an acceptable answer.

And the carousel continued to go round and round in her head. No time to stop. No time to slow down. No time to rest.

* * *

Blades.

Blades on her feet.

Blades sliding around on ice.

_"No. No way."_

_"It's just ice," Lydia said with a laugh._

_Allison rolled her eyes. "We're already here."_

_Maddie's eye narrowed at Allison, still not exactly past the news that she had lied to her. She did well not to bring that up now, though. For the moment, she'd only allow herself to be angry about the ice skating she didn't sign up for. "You said nothing about ice."_

Now, she sat on the bleachers, staring at the size 7 ½ ice skates to her right, all scuffed up and faded. A grimace overtook her face. There was absolutely nothing on earth that would possibly get her to put those things on and continuously fall on her butt for the next hour or so._ Nothing._

She looked to her left, where Stiles sat a couple of feet way talking to Lydia about colors and things that don't typically go together being perfect with each other, like people. She couldn't help but roll her eyes so hard that it hurt a little bit. After finding out about his crush on Lydia, suddenly his efforts seemed painstakingly obvious.

"No, I can see that," Lydia said, her tone genuine. Both Stiles and Maddie looked over at her, wearing equally shocked expressions.

"You can?" Stiles asked, sounding both surprised and hopeful.

_She can?_ Maddie thought.

"Yeah." Lydia's eye were on Stiles for only a second longer before she looked past him to Scott and Allison. "They're cute together."

All three pairs of eyes went over to the couple who were helping each other up. Maddie even found them to be somewhat cute, in a sickening type of way. That was probably a result of being on the other side of that wall most days while they were…spending time together. She suddenly had a new appreciation for crappy motel rooms and found herself sorely missing her old one.

"Oh, yeah, them." Stiles sounded a little bitter.

Lydia nodded. "Cute."

"Cute." Scratch that. He sounded extremely bitter. "Adorable."

It was no time at all before all four were on the ice, each one at their own particular level. Scott was painful just to watch, although Maddie was sure it was a lot more agonizing for him, considering he couldn't stay on his feet for more than a max of ten seconds. It was lucky he had Allison with him, who could actually function on skates quite well. Stiles was alright too but then again he was doing less skating and more watching Lydia than anything else. Then there was Lydia, who glided across the ice like one of those girls in the Winter Olympics.

She found herself frowning and feeling rather guilty about it. Lydia seemed to be naturally gifted in everything she did in general, from school to socializing to this. Hell, she survived an _Alpha bite_ – something Maddie could in no way do. In fact, the only gifts Maddie was given had been thrust upon her and she wasn't even sure she could call that a gift.

All in all, she felt envious – of all of them. All four were paired off with each other and having fun, enjoying one another's company. Maddie didn't belong here, not with them. Not with anyone. No one knew what she was even like. She was always protecting people and patrolling and training and trying to figure everything out; she never actually gave herself time to be an idiot teenager who falls on their ass at ice skating rinks, like Scott. Or have a social life, like Allison. Most times she managed to convince herself that she didn't want one anyway.

She glared at her ice skates, knowing that wasn't true. She thought back to days with Marie, constantly getting into trouble and sneaking out. There was never a dull moment, not for five whole years. She shook the memories away, getting irrationally angry just thinking about Marie. Getting angry for being the responsible one. The blonde got to be brash, selfish, and cocky because she knew someone would always be there to clean up the mess. Even now, Maddie felt as though she were cleaning up Marie's mess, specifically the one she made of Maddie's life.

She didn't want to be responsible for everyone all the time. She wanted to be dumb. She wanted to be selfish. She wanted…

"Hey!"

Her eyes shot up to the direction of the voice, finding Stiles standing at one of the entrances to the rink. She sighed. "What?"

Stiles shrugged as if he wasn't even really sure why he was talking to her. "Nothing, just…are you really just gonna _sit_ there all night?"

"I dunno. Probably." She raised one eyebrow curiously. "So?"

He was gesturing a lot again as if he were getting more frustrated each time she spoke. "So you _can't_ just sit there all night! This is a group outing. You are _part_ of the group."

_Am not._ "Actually I _can_ sit here all night if I want. And why do you care anyway?"

That seemed to catch Stiles off guard for a second and it took him a few seconds to answer. "Because we're all having fun and then I look over and you're just _sitting there_ doing nothing. It's depressing!"

"And I can't seem to care," she shot back with a glare.

"C'mon, Mads. Have some fun!"

Her eyes darkened. "What did I tell you about calling me that?"

"You know, strangely," he began with a small grin. "I don't feel as threatened with you all the way over there."

"Stiles…"

Stiles backed up a little bit, further onto the ice. "Sorry, what was that? You're too far away!"

Maddie stayed put, shaking her head disapprovingly as her attention turned back to her phone for the time being. It wasn't worth the time or effort to go after him, to be honest. She wondered for a second why was choosing to bug the hell out of her and not Lydia (while completely bypassing the fact that she was glad someone remembered she was there).

He released a loud, frustrated breath as he skated back over to the bleachers and his shoulders slumped. "Do you do anything fun? Like…_anything_ at all?"

She didn't look up from her phone as she sent a text to Xander, briefing him on the current situation.

"Really? Nothing?"

She was about to hit 'send' when her phone flew out of her grasp. Her head snapped back up as she watched Stiles pocket the small black brick and head back out to the ice as quickly as possible. Maddie leapt up from her seat and ran to the entrance to the rink, stopping just where the concrete changed to ice. Stiles was several feet away already, withholding wide, triumphant smile that Maddie could tell was already threatening to spread on his face. She looked down at her boot-clad feet and then at the ice before her eyes found their way back to Stiles again. "Stiles... Get. Over. Here. _Now_."

"Okay, one," he began, moving his feet back and forth slightly. "No. And two, why did you think that would work?"

"Give me my phone!"

"Why can't I call you Mads?"

For a moment, her anger ebbed and she stared at him, a bit shocked. "…What?"

"Every single time I call you Mads, you get pissed off and hit me. I think It's fair for me to know why."

She glared at him. Again. For the millionth time. It felt like all she ever did was glare at him most days. "That's none of your business."

"Then put on your skates and come get your phone." He skated a bit farther back. "Your choice. I can do this all night."

Maddie swallowed hard and looked back at the skates with distaste. Then she looked back at Stiles who seemed far too pleased with himself. "This is blackmail."

"Technically it's bribery."

She gritted her teeth before rushing back to the bleachers and untying her shoes. "When I catch you, you're _dead_, Stilinski."

"That's a risk I'm willing to take. Now hurry up."

In no time, she had laced up the skates and found herself unsteadily walking towards the ice rink. Once she was back at the entrance, she gripped the side wall tightly and took one unsure step onto the ice. The slick surface made her move more than she anticipated and she began guiding herself along the edge of the rink carefully.

"Now, when I said I can do this all night –" He skated a safe distance from her, just out of her reach. " – that wasn't a challenge."

She wobbled on her feet, feeling utterly foolish as she debated pushing herself off from the wall and attacking him. "Shut up."

"Come on," he taunted, waving her phone around. "Just a little farther."

"I _really_ hope this was worth it." Her voice was low and full was anger.

Of course, it was the she noticed he was no longer waving around her phone, but aiming the tiny lens at her. "Totally worth it. I'll gladly risk my well being for this." She growled and pushed herself off of the wall and clumsily moved forward, towards Stiles. All he did was laugh at her failed efforts. "Has anyone ever told you that you have all the grace of a baby elephant?"

She slowly skated a little bit further. "Give me the phone, damn it!"

Stiles skated back a little bit and she attempted to leap forward and catch him, but instead fell to the icy floor with a thud. He couldn't help but laugh but still managed to go back over to her and hold out a hand. She was still glaring menacingly at the boy but took the hand anyway. In that instant, she tugged him roughly to the ground and landed flat on his back. He winced in pain but when he opened his eyes, he found her laughing hysterically and covering her mouth. Despite the pain on his face, he managed a half smile. "You think this is funny?"

Maddie didn't answer but she at least seemed to be calming down as she quickly reached into his jacket pocket and retrieved her phone. She momentarily waved it in his face, smirked, and added, "I win."

Before she could even process that a moment had passed - where she and Stiles had not only been civil, but looking at each other and smiling almost like they were friends - it happened.

A _scream_.

Lydia's scream.

Both heads turned to the center of the ice rink where the girl had been. She was on her hands and knees and, gods, the screaming…

Maddie had trouble getting to her feet but Stiles had already started to rush to her side. Even as he held on to her, she kept thrashing and screaming, so loud that Maddie was cover her ears.

Everything had been going so well and Maddie had almost convinced herself that Lydia was okay. Of course, she wasn't. How could the slayer possibly think that this girl would just be okay after _everything_?

"If you pretend hard enough, even you'll believe it eventually."

She heard that. She _knew_ that she heard that - that soft, southern drawl. Her breath caught in her throat and her organs felt as if they had crumbled to ash. Her head darted around wildly but nothing was there.

_No one_ was there.

She closed her eyes tightly and waited for the screams to stop – and perhaps any other voices that had started to seep into her head.


	24. Chapter Twenty Three: Beginnings

**Author's Note: So, today I bring you several beginnings. The good _and_ the bad.**

**Song Recommendation [**"Where Is My Mind?" - Yoav feat. Emily Browning**]**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Beginnings**

* * *

**_May 2003_**

Madeline Hayes was a brilliant test taker, not that she was learning anything terribly difficult. It was, after all, only the second grade and she was only eight.

Still, she continuously impressed her teacher, Miss Hammond, with just how easily she picked up things – for instance, math. She loved math (because she was good at it, mostly). Numbers were always simple - concrete. Two never decided it suddenly equaled five because numbers can't decide anything. They couldn't change like characters in books and she never had to explain why like in Science class. Everyone already understood why, because it was just math.

Some of her more aggressive peers didn't seem to share her enthusiasm, especially Trista, the girl who pathologically cheated off of her tests. Maddie always let her, without even a hint of a fight; she knew better than that these days. In a way, she didn't mind it. After all, at least this way she wasn't going to get beat up and - even better - it was proof that she was good at it. Good at _something_. Her mother worried that she was too young to be having such sad thoughts but Maddie never did. What was wrong with wanting to be good at something?

Maybe she'd even be a Mathematician when she grew up (regardless of the fact that she didn't even know how to spell mathematician).

Or maybe a teacher. That would be nice.

Even as she scribbled crooked numbers onto the the blue paper as slowly as possible so that the black-haired girl to her right could successfully copy her work, she felt an odd sense of pride knowing just how good she was.

_7 x 5 = __

She smiled, knowing she didn't even have to count by fives on her hands anymore.

_3..._

Maddie was just about to write down the five when her hand stopped and her number two pencil fell from her grasp. The world began spinning quickly and she gripped her head with both hands. Whispers...she could hear whispers, so soft that she thought that she couldn't tell whether or not she was actually hearing them or making them up.

_"Into every generation..."_

_"...make your choice..."_

_"We are alone."_

In that instant, she felt the strangest sensation. Her skin prickled feverishly until the feeling sank all the way down her her bones, latching onto each one of them one at a time and spreading around them like armor.

Maddie didn't realize how angry her bully looked to her right as she stood up, one hand still gripping her forehead, and walked to her teacher's desk slowly. The middle aged woman with streaks of gray running through her red hair looked at the little girl, concerned. "Maddie? What's wrong?"

Maddie didn't speak but instead gave her teacher a pleading look and shook her head wildly.

The woman quickly grabbed a pad of tear off notes that read _Wiesbrook Elementary_ in large, bold lettering and quickly jotted something onto the paper. She handed it to the girl with a kind smile. "Go see the nurse, alright?"

She nodded and rushed out of the class room. It didn't stop; the feeling only grew stronger. It was like a ball of light and energy erupted in her chest and spread out to her fingertips and toes. Even to her eyes and ears. _Everything_.

It didn't hurt her, but something about it made her stomach knot. That was when she ran - as fast as she could, faster than she had ever been - to the nurse's office. Even after resting for the remainder of the day, she couldn't quell whatever was stirring inside her and that frightened her more than anything.

It was, after all, only the second grade and she was only eight.

* * *

"Again."

Forearm. Forearm. Knee. Rest.

"Again."

Forearm. Forearm. Other knee. Rest.

"Again."

Over and over, the same pattern on repeat.

Maddie was in no mood for this. After they had gotten back from their awful group outing, Maddie had waited nearly an hour for Allison to crash before she headed down stairs to the basement. Since then, though, she had done nothing but this – and it had been at least forty-five minutes.

"No offense, but I think I used to do this exercise," she began, taking a step back from the punching bag and wiping the sweat from her brow, "when I was ten."

"Muscle memory." Chris Argent stood across the room with his arms folded and the same stern stare on his face. "For your reflexes. If you stop exercising those reflexes, they'll be the first to go."

She shrugged, unravelling the athletic tape from her hands. "And they'd still be ten times better than the average human being."

"You're not facing _human beings_." He voice had gotten a bit louder.

"Are you sure?" She wadded up the tape and tossed it roughly in the trash bin across the room. "I feel like I should be worrying more about a bullet to the head or a sword cutting me in half than the wolves."

A false smile and sarcastic laugh echoed from the hunter. "Hunters and Slayers have been allies for years. Centuries of-"

"When we were working for the old Watcher's Council, you mean," she cut him off promptly. "From what I understand, they were all killed and we haven't been on such good terms since then."

Chris remained silent for a moment before answering again, his voice low. "That's an alliance we're actively attempting to repair. The point is, we currently have a common enemy."

"Do we?"

He stayed quiet that time.

"Also, why not train Allison at the same time?" She felt a bit bitter at mentioning it, as she still hadn't talked to Allison about the secret she'd kept from Maddie. "Wouldn't it be easier than training us separately?"

"You and Allison are at two different levels; you can't be trained the same way. Regardless of her aptitude, she's still very new to all of this." He paused for a moment, as if he had to struggle to get the rest out. "What it comes down to is that you're a Vampire Slayer, she's not. She's not going to be as strong or as fast as you. She doesn't have enhanced senses. It wouldn't be fair."

Maddie looked down and retreated back to the punching bag – this time, with no tape.

From the top of the stairs, a delicate hand gripped the railing tightly. Two pajama clad feet hesitantly retreated as well back out of sight and of earshot, clearly having heard exactly what they needed.

* * *

She couldn't recall how late she had stayed up that night but it had been at least late enough for Chris to go back upstairs. Still, Maddie kept going. Kept training. She went on for so long that her knuckles became red and sore. It wasn't enough though - not to drown out the thoughts of earlier that day. Not to drown out the voices.

No, not voices – _a_ voice. One _terrible_ voice.

She hadn't gone to bed when she was tired – mostly because it wasn't something she could appropriately gauge anymore. She was _always_ tired and with good reason. There was always something that needed to be taken care of. There was always a lead. There was always a problem. The one thing there seemed to be none of was time to sleep.

The next day was no different; she only seemed to catch an hour or two of rest before she found herself throwing on some wrinkled clothes she hadn't bothered to fold and messily putting on her dark eye makeup.

Now, she sat in Chemistry – _of course _– and held her head up in the palm of her hand. She didn't seem to care much about whatever Mister Harris was going on about. In fact, she instead found herself wondering if he and Xander were related somehow. Sure, Harris was a pretty common last name but she still found it vaguely amusing to think of the two of them at a family reunion together.

Once the bell rang again to announce lunch, Maddie bolted for the exit almost immediately. She wanted to find Allison and ask if she was alright. The fairer brunette had said next to nothing to her all day and she wasn't quite sure why. Besides, it never hurt to ask.

Unfortunately, when she turned the corner to the hall her locker was in, she stopped and released a long, frustrated sigh, noting who was at the other end.

* * *

_Five Minutes Earlier_

"What do you think of Maddie?"

The question had passed from Stiles' lips before he could think and reign it back in. Scott's eyebrow quirked upwards as the question caught his attention and caused his to stop unloading his books into his locker. He looked over at Stiles questioningly, who was currently looking over at the lockers across from them. His eyes were a bit unfocused as he stood there, thinking. He couldn't even tell that he was actively staring at where Maddie met up with Allison everyday just before they headed to the cafeteria for lunch. And why did he know that, anyway? Seemed like an odd thing to remember.

Scott shrugged as he shut his locker. "I dunno. I guess it's nice having back up that isn't Derek. But she's kind of always…"

"Stubborn? Defensive? Intimidating?"

"Not here," Scott said, which quieted his friend immediately. "Detached, you know? I mean...do we even really know her?"

Stiles paused for a moment longer, thinking back to Maddie's brief time in Beacon Hills. All of the short answers, the deflecting questions with violence, the side switching. They really had no idea who she was for the most part – that didn't stop him from trying to piece what he did know together. She clearly cared what Allison thought of her – after all, she agreed to train the girl. But when she really came out of her shell was with people like Lydia and Erica. Normal people (or previously normal people). "Well, yeah… but I guess eight years of hunting monsters probably didn't really make her the sharing type."

"I don't know; it just seems like she doesn't trust us. How can we work together if we can't trust each other?" Scott sighed. Stiles leaned his shoulder against the closed lockers and stayed quiet for a while before he noted his friend's eyes grow wide. "Wait, why are you asking about Maddie?"

Stiles scoffed loudly, nervously. "Pfft! No reason! Just, ah…making conversation. Shootin' the breeze." He took a moment to look at his best friend, whose eyes shined with amusement as a wide, surprised smile began to spread across his face. Stiles expression didn't change. "What?"

"You like Maddie."

Stiles gaped at Scott before clamping his mouth shut and shaking his head. "Dude, I don't like Maddie. That- that would be insane and idiotic…" He paused for a second and his eyebrows furrowed worriedly. "…and would make me kind of a masochist. And will you stop with that look?"

Scott still couldn't withhold his grin but continued. "You totally like her."

"I do _not_ like her," Stiles argued back. "And shouldn't you be, I don't know, looking for Allison like you said you would?"

Something seemed to click with Scott once Stiles said that and his entire expression shifted to shock. "Right! Yeah. I'll just…"

"Yeah, you do that." Stiles tone was a bit edgier than usual. "I'll meet you in the cafeteria."

As Scott walked off, Stiles knew this wouldn't be the end of the conversation. There was something horrifying about hearing something like that out loud. Of course he didn't like her. He didn't know what possessed Scott to say something so outrageous in the first place. All he did was ask a simple question – an unbiased question, in fact. They never really talked about including Maddie in their little group and he was only wondering if she was actually a part of it or not.

But no – Scott leapt to conclusions. Terrible, terrible conclusions that were completely unfounded.

He breathed an exasperated sigh. No, he definitely did not like Madeline Hayes. She was rude. She was mean. She was –

"What is it _now_?"

…standing right in front of him. Her makeup seemed darker than usual, but maybe that was the dark bags under her eyes. Her usual pinpoint death glare was even a bit off – like her eyes were glazed over slightly. Even her hair looked like it hadn't even been brushed. She looked so… "Tired," he muttered out loud, only that hadn't been his intention. Tired was an understatement anyway. She looked dead on her feet.

Her eyebrows furrowed. "What?"

"What?" he repeated, as if he didn't even realize he had said anything at all.

"What did you just say?"

He took a moment before his mind wrapped fully around the mix up. Still, it bothered him; she seemed like she was about to pass out at any moment. "I, uh…I said you look- are you okay?"

Maddie looked at him warily, her eyes focusing a bit more and narrowing on him. Even then, she took another long moment before answering. "…I'm fine." She looked like she was thinking about something – or maybe that was just her checking out for a moment due to the fatigue. Was she sleeping at all? The slayer shook her head slightly, as if snapping herself out of a trance. "What's going on? Why are you over here?"

As if she thought he was just waiting for her. _Pfft_. God forbid anyone else had a locker in this hallway. He wanted to say it out loud but something stopped him. Arguing would be a one-sided fight at the moment with her in that state. He'd spare her the humiliation and himself the pain. "Well, um…" He had to think of something quickly before he was just some weirdo waiting for her in the hall for no reason. Which wasn't true. At all. Obviously. Something suddenly clicked in his head. "Oh yeah! There's supposed to be three."

She seemed even more dumbfounded. "Three? Three of what?"

"Wolves," he said quietly. "Betas. That leaves one that we don't know about."

He saw her face drop and practically hit the linoleum. The great thing about her apparent sleep deprivation was that there was nothing to hide her emotion (although she was still clearly trying). On the down side, he saw it all. Her eyes were wider and looking to the ground. Her jaw clenched tightly as she drew in a shaky breath. Pain – every bit of her face was in pain. There was no resolve, no rage. It was like…_She's not even here._ It was curious and suddenly he couldn't help but want to know why that had been her reaction in the first place.

Another inhale. This one was sharper as she looked back at him, with the wall behind her gaze still cracked. "Who?"

Stiles sighed. "We don't know."

She looked away again. It was weird; almost like this Maddie was even more intimidating. Like it had never been what she was or how she carried herself or how much war paint she wore. This was a very raw look through a window that must've been boarded up for ages. There were so many emotions passing from her now – erratic, overbearing emotions. It almost worried him – hell, it almost scared him. He watched her gather herself calmly, looking at anything but straight ahead at him. "Any leads?"

"Not yet," was his lame response, considering how far from his mind the topic was at the moment. Instead, his main focus had become Maddie's strange behavior. He softened his tone a bit before speaking again. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm _fine_," she snapped almost maliciously as her glare shot over to him. It didn't last very long at all though as she closed her eyes and shook her head before they opened again. "I'm fine." Her eyes darted over to her locker and stayed there for a while. "Have you seen Allison?"

"I think she's already in the cafeteria." He nodded in the direction of the large room. "C'mon. I'm meeting Scott there anyway."

She still didn't look back at him this time. Instead, she sighed and shook her head slowly. "No, I gotta go to the gym." She must have expected his questioning look because she didn't even give his a side glance before she rolled her eyes. "It's a training thing. Allison's dad is on my case about it."

"So what? You're just letting him tell you what to do?" It slipped out. That seemed to be happening a lot lately.

This also seemed to irk Maddie slightly, just enough for the corner of her mouth to twitch downward and for her glossy stare to narrow on him. "I live there, idiot. If I have full access to their base of operations, throwing a few punches between classes isn't a big deal." Stiles opened his mouth to counter but the girl held up her index finger to stop him. "Drop it. I'm going."

Stiles' shoulders slumped dejectedly and he nodded. "Fine. Okay. Just...try not to pass out in the gym."

There it was: that deep, irritated frown. If he didn't know better, he would've thought that was the only expression she had. Suddenly, the thought of that cocky, Cheshire cat smile wriggled into his head and with warning, the memory of her laugh barreled right through as well. He shoved the images out of his brain (and rightfully so, because he didn't think about her _that way_) just in time for her to answer. "Shut up, Stiles."

"You are so defensive, you know that?" He tried not to laugh or grin in response; that would denote playful banter in lieu of childish arguing, which was really what it was. _Clearly_.

Maddie huffed and spun on her heel, doing a full one hundred eighty degree turn and stomping away. Stiles had only just took a step back to head toward the cafeteria when he noticed that she turned around again from much farther away, her chestnut hair whipping around her face as she did so. "When you have a lead, call me. I'll go with you guys."

He looked mildly offended, which he was of course - even if it was only in defense of his best friend who could certainly keep them both safe. _Most of the time. _"We don't need a protector!"

"No," she began, her tone forceful and agitated. "You need someone to stop you both from doing something stupid."

He exhaled loudly and shook his head. "Mads-"

"_Stiles_," she replied in a dangerous voice. He wasn't sure if it was because they were arguing or because he had called her by the name she seemed to dislike most. Her near-black stare reflected something different though and whatever it was, it made the boy's rebuttal fall away entirely. Most would mistake it for concern for his (and Scott's) well being but that couldn't be right at all. "Just _call_, okay?"

He swallowed and nodded faintly. "Yeah…sure."

Without another word passing between them, she rushed off down the hall and eventually out of sight while Stiles was left in the hallway to shake off the feeling in his gut.

Even as he headed into the packed cafeteria, it didn't go away.


	25. Chapter Twenty Four: Pressure

**A/N: FINALLY! This was really tough to get through. Just work and stress at home all mixed together, y'know? Anyway, for those of you who would like to take advantage of my askfm to find out more about the fic account, my username is going to be playpretendx! **

* * *

_**Buffy:** I've been...working. I've been busy because I have to._

_**Dawn:** No! You've been avoiding me!_

_**Buffy:** I'm not! I have to do these things cause… cause when I stop, then she's really gone. And I'm trying- Dawn, I'm really trying to take care of things but...I don't even know what I'm doing!_

**_\- Buffy the Vampire Slayer, "Forever"_**

* * *

"Are you sure?"

"Are you _serious_?"

Allison was taken aback by the question and the incredulous look that her friend gave her. She straightened her spine and pushed herself away from the locker she'd been leaning on. "I just wanted to make sure that you were okay."

"Allison," Lydia's eyes narrowed on her friend, "sweetie. It was just a bad day. That's it." Allison could tell that Lydia was becoming more and more defensive each time she brought it up but she couldn't help but be worried for the girl. The past few weeks had been horrifyingly bad no matter her efforts toward the contrary. Even so, she decided to drop it. Before she could start a new conversation topic though, Lydia went on as she closed her locker. "Besides, I'm not the one you should be worried about."

The brunette's brow creased and she frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, please. Like it's not obvious." The strawberry blonde rolled her eyes dramatically and glanced over at Allison again, who seemed utterly dumbfounded. Lydia's eyes widened only slightly. "You really don't know, do you?"

Allison's shoulders slumped in defeat. "Know what? Lydia, what's going on?"

A light as air sigh escaped her friend's lips as she nodded for Allison to follow as she walked down the hallway. It took several minutes to get to their destination and Lydia hadn't said one word the whole way there. Before the youngest Argent knew it, she was standing outside the gym doors, which were currently shut but on the other side came the most curious sounds.

Repeated smacking of two things crashing together in no discernible rhythm. Allison looked from the double doors to the girl on her left. Lydia was looking at her expectantly back. Allison slowly glanced back over to the doors and reached for the handle of one, pushing it open carefully. She only slightly did so, as to not alert the person on the other side. The sounds became clearer and were now joined by angry grunts.

Allison peeked inside the large room to find a stand up punching bag being assaulted by a girl with tied up brown hair that threatened to stick her face. Makeup that hadn't been fully removed darkened the bags under her eyes – something that was clear even from there, now that she could tell who it was.

Punch after punch was thrown, some missing here and there – something Allison wouldn't expect from a slayer. Her expression shifted completely from confused to worried as she turned back to her friend. Lydia, of course, wore the same knowing expression. A pang of guilt jolted through Allison as she spoke quietly. "She looks…tired."

There was that incredulous look again. "No, she looked tired a _week_ ago. _Now_, she looks like an extra from the Walking Dead." Her snippy tone wasn't exactly helping either, Allison noted. Still, she was right. The color had drained from Maddie's face and her form was increasingly sloppy – which seemed telling, in Allison's inexperience. Lydia rolled her eyes. "Look, I don't know what's going on with you two but, for the love of god, just work it out. I can only handle so much drama in one day."

Allison looked down at her shoes and breathed a heavy sigh before mustering up the courage to look her best friend in the eye again. Lydia proceeded to gesture towards the gym again, this time more emphatically. Allison struggled quite a bit to convince herself to oblige the request, even as she entered through the double doors.

* * *

As the doors slammed shut, Maddie missed the punch and growled to herself. She ran her fingers through her damp hair before letting her arms go limp at her sides. Her hands hurt again; of course, that wasn't the only thing that hurt. She'd had a migraine for at least the past hour as well. Had it been an hour? Maybe it was two, not that it mattered. The more time she spent outside of her head, the better. Unfortunately, that was no longer an option as she heard footsteps pulling her back into reality. She whirled around to meet the person face to face and was a bit shocked to see Allison carefully walking towards her. She was frowning, but not like before. It was more akin to the looks she gave Lydia nearly every day now or whenever Scott went off on his own.

Worry. That's what it was - but it couldn't be. Not for her.

Maddie adjusted her sports tank top slightly and rolled her neck, acting as nonchalant as possible.

Allison swallowed and kept her distance. "Hey."

The look on the slayer's face remained placid and with good reason. It was the first time all day Allison had spoken directly to her and they hadn't been talking much before that. Part of Maddie was angry with her. She had gone through the trouble of agreeing to train Allison the way she had been trained and then had been kept in the dark when the girl had started training with her father. Still, she stood there, working hard to quell the bitterness that had settled in her gut. "What's up?"

Allison made a motion that looked almost like a shrug. "Just...seeing how you are."

"I'm fine," Maddie said, just as she had to Stiles earlier. She was beginning to get sick of saying it.

The taller brunette frowned, taking in the slayer's appearance. The bags under her eyes were dark and puffy while her stare was unfocused. Even her blinks were frequent and unusually long. "Are you sure? You look…"

"I said I'm fine," Maddie snapped, glaring at the girl. This was nonsense. Allison was keeping her from training, which was the only time she didn't have to think. And the more she thought the angrier she could feel herself becoming.

She saw Allison grip the strap of her bag tightly. "Really?"

Maddie shrugged this time and went back to repetitively hitting the 'tapout' logo on the punch bag. "You know me."

She heard the voice from behind her again. "...Do I?"

Her fist had been about to collide again with the rough canvas material when it halted only centimeters away as the answer registered in her brain. Her head snapped over to the girl and she folded her arms indignantly. She was not in the mood for this, or Allison at all for that matter. She was tired of these people always looking at her like she was an animal and turning around and looking to her to help them. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Allison opened her mouth to speak but closed it again and stayed silent for another few seconds. "I know you're a slayer…and I barely know what that even means. I know you came here because my family asked you to. But…you don't talk to me. I don't know _who_ you are. What you like. I don't even know if you consider me a friend." She paused and swallowed, ignoring the shock on Maddie's face. "Or if you're just putting up with all of us until…"

Madeline clenched her jaw. "You're right. You don't know me." She shifted back over to the punching bag, hitting it harder and harder until her knuckles turned red. "And instead of asking, you avoid me and hide things!"

"Because I tell you and you shut down!" Allison had begun shouting back, now burning a hole though the side of Maddie's head with her gaze. "Whenever we talk, you're just…the slayer! Like you can't be any other way because I'm not on the same level as you!"

"Because you're not!" Maddie had stopped throwing punches and walked past the punching bag to take a threatening step toward Allison. "You can't even fathom what this is like! And you'll never know! Never! You say slayer like it's some title that I picked up! It's what I am! It's all I am!" Her throat was raw as she kept yelling, as if it was something therapeutic. "You train because you don't want people to protect you! I never had that choice!"

Allison stood there, stone still but still glaring back. She didn't say a word. Nothing.

"You- you want to know something about me?" Maddie's voice was low and venomous. "A bunch of strangers took me from my family when I was eight. You know why?" She paused, almost insisting on a response but continued when one didn't come. "Because _living_ with them could get them killed." She wanted to do this, to hurt someone. To have Allison storm off. Anything to get away from everyone. "I train because I know innocent people who are stupid enough to stick around - and I have to make sure they don't end up dead. So, no, you're _not_ on my level."

Maddie whipped her head around and walked further into the gym, hearing Allison finally speak up. "…Well, I'm sorry we're so stupid. But it has nothing to do with you. I don't want my friends to get hurt because they had to focus on keeping me safe. I want to help Scott and protect my best friend. If I were you, I would be using my power to help the people I care about, not use it as an excuse to push them away."

She wanted to yell again, to fight back but when she turned back around she wasn't face to face with Allison. Her breath caught in her throat. The person's face was sallow and her wild, blonde hair was matted and dirty. There was dried blood and bruises all over her face and her blue eyes…they were empty. _Dead_. Maddie's stomach dropped and her mouth went dry as her pulse quickened. This couldn't be real. It _couldn't_ be. The girl that had taken Allison's place opened her blood-stained mouth. "You could've helped me."

"You-" She wanted to shout that she wasn't real but the words turned to ash on her tongue. Instead, she squeezed her eyes shut tightly for a several, terrifying seconds before opening them again.

There stood Allison, the anger in her eyes ebbing slightly as worry overtook them again. "Maddie? What-"

"I…I have to go." Maddie took a step back and stumble into the standing punch bag before bolting for the locker room. She heard Allison call after her once more as the door to the locker room shut. Luckily, she was not followed into the room as she sat on one of the benches, catching her breath. She could feel herself breaking apart, imploding in on herself. Her insides felt heavy and her lungs constricted.

It hadn't been enough time. Going to Beacon Hills and agreeing to this mission had been far, far too soon. There was so much she hadn't even allowed herself to feel yet.

It had been a year and it felt raw still. She couldn't allow herself to care because even considering it would be tearing open a wound that had barely even begun to heal. It was then that she heard a buzzing next to her on the bench. Her eyes darted over to find her phone.

**2 MISSED CALLS**

**4 MESSAGES**

Her eyebrows furrowed as she reached for the device and tapped on the screen.

**Stiles**『yo I tried calling we think the third wolf might be this guy named Boyd 』

**Stiles**『call me back asap we gotta leave like now 』

**Stiles**『answer your stupid phone 』

**Stiles**『omw I'll send the address meet me there 』

Eyes wide, she dropped her phone immediately and began getting changed. Her stomach churned more and her thoughts chastised her as she grabbed her things and rushed for the door.

It was too late and she knew it; the wound had been torn open already. Of course she cared.

* * *

After receiving the address, Maddie had sprinted out of the school as fast as she possibly could. Even when the ground felt unsteady beneath her feet or she had to look at the directions on her phone, she did her best to keep running. She felt utterly stupid for forgetting about her deal with Stiles and guilty on top of that for how she shouted at Allison. _It's not my fault_, she tried to convince herself. _She could've easily talked to me about this weeks ago._ Which she would've taken terribly and she knew it. She didn't want a friend; all they ever caused was trouble and pain. Besides, they were more of an on-the-job hazard than anything. Her mind flashed the sight of Marie, frail and bloodied, in the gym earlier and Maddie's jaw tightened. No, friends weren't worth it.

Her feet carried her as fast as they could as her mind snapped back to reality and the old, blue jeep came into view. Her vision then moved from the car to the house it was parked in front of. It was a bit blurry but she managed to lock on to one figure. Long, blonde waves and black clothing. Something in their hand. Someone on the floor, not moving. Maddie cursed under her breath and stopped as she reached the girl still standing.

The blonde whirled around almost immediately and looked at her curiously. Erica stood there, smirking as she looked Maddie once over and narrowed her gaze, examining her closely. "Isn't this interesting."

Something caught Maddie's attention after another second; something was shining slightly in the beta's hand. The slayer looked down and caught a glimpse of not only something mechanical (possibly something from a car if her bad feeling was right), but the person on the ground alarmed her even more. There laid an unconscious Stiles in a crumpled heap and Maddie felt another jolt of pain surged through her. Her head snapped up to meet Erica's eyes, the very same eyes she'd seen so much sadness and fear in only days before. This, though…it wasn't the girl she had saved from a group of bullies. Something in Maddie suddenly felt drained. Not sad, not angry, just…empty. She gave the girl a softer look. "…I'm sorry."

"Wait... Oh my god. You _know_ already." Erica's smirk stretched into a grin. "Why be sorry then? This is the best thing that's ever happened to me!"

"No," Maddie said, her voice even and calm. "I don't care about your idiotic decisions. What I'm sorry for is what I'm about to do."

The smile vanished from Erica's lips as she barely caught the full-force punch Maddie had thrown at her. She squeezed the brunette's fist tightly, causing Maddie's hand to feel like all the bones in it were being crushed. Without a second though, the slayer crashed her forehead with Erica's in a head butt. Her head sufficiently in throbbing pain, Maddie shook it off and noted the beta wolf's momentary distraction, grabbing her arm that was still attached to Maddie's fist. In a last ditch effort, she threw Erica like a rag doll across the lawn where she landed on her back, writhing in pain. In an instant, Maddie had strode over as the girl attempted to get up, kicked the car part from her hand, and landed a heavy boot on her shoulder to force her back down. Maddie leaned down, her stare pitch black and murderous as she ground Erica's should into the dirt. "Go run back to Derek. Tell him the slayer sent you."

The brunette finally backed off as Erica growled and stood again. She was visibly shaken but it took her a long moment to start backing up; once she finally did, she clutched her shoulder and ran out of sight. Maddie felt so detached that she wasn't sure that she had even said any of that out loud. To _Erica_. She shook her head furiously and turned back to Stiles' unconscious form. She exhaled loudly as she walked over with the car part now safely in her bag and knelt down next to the boy. She put a hand as gently as she could on his shoulder and shook him a bit. "Stiles?"

Nothing. She checked his pulse out of sheer paranoia.

"Well, at least you're alive. That's something," she muttered.

With no other options that she could think of, she places her arms under him and hoisted him up and decided to take him back to his car.

An hour. A full hour of sitting in the passenger side of the jeep as the sun set, waiting for Stiles to wake up and Scott to text her back. She felt like a guard dog, just sitting there for something to happen. It was terrible – and her seat was beginning to get comfortable. It was then, of course, that Stiles began to stir.

"Mmrphm," came his incoherent voice from the backseat. He tried to open his eyes but then he winced and clutched the side of his head. He then managed to somewhat clearly mumble, "…bitch."

"Excuse me?" Maddie responded as she sent him a glare.

He tried to focus on the slayer in the front passenger seat and only seemed to look even more confused as his eyebrows knitted together and he squinted. "Maddie? What're you doing here?"

"Saving your ass," she shot back. "Again."

He ignored the comment and looked around. "Wh…what time is it?"

Maddie looked over at her phone. "Quarter past six."

"Where are we?"

"I'm assuming in front of Boyd's house." She looked back at him briefly. "Your car won't start."

Stiles was completely upright now but still grabbing at his head. "That's because freaking _Erica_ ripped out the starter." His eyes grew wider suddenly. "Have you heard from Scott?"

"A little bit ago. It didn't go well but he's alive." She sunk lower into her seat and sighed. "I called a tow truck by the way. You're welcome."

His eyes settled on her for a second or two before darting away again. "Thanks. You know, I'm, uh… surprised you stayed."

"It was night time. You were unconscious. I wouldn't just _leave_."

He gestured to her animatedly. "Right! Yeah. Fair point. Didn't think of it that way."

Maddie rolled her eyes and shifted in her seat. She could feel her eyes droop more and more. Thanks to Stiles, she had to sit and keep still with nothing to occupy her time, really. She thought about Allison, grimacing at what she said earlier. Marie popped into her head as well much to her displeasure. She'd even been unnecessarily rough with Erica. She knew how to make someone leave without violence but today…it just came so easy. _Get it together, Hayes._

"Ever think about taking a night off from the whole slayer thing? For good behavior?"

She shook her head. "Not an option."

"Why not?"

Her dark eyes veered away and out the window as she shrugged slightly. "Just…because. That's not how things work. There's no off time."

"Maybe there should be," he replied. The way he said it was so nonchalant that she was almost in awe of how flippant he was being about it.

She sent him a sideways glance and quirked an eyebrow. "You know I can't just stop being a slayer, right?"

"But you can stop taking responsibility for everyone for a little while." He must've noticed the frown forming on her lips because he went on. "Okay, hear me out: I don't know much about you but I do know that you want to protect everyone all the time. And you can't."

"Thanks for that."

"Okay, hold on. All I'm saying is we knew what we were getting ourselves into. We don't need a guardian; we need an ally." As Stiles went on, Maddie threw him a side glance and noted that he still had his gaze on her intently. "I mean, Allison's an archery pro, Scott's got his wolf powers, and I'm…I'm…" He trailed off, his stare suddenly far off.

"Their Watcher," Maddie supplied, clearly not in the right frame of mind.

"Their _what_?"

She took a deep breath, wishing she had said that but not having much control over her words as of late. "...A watcher's the person who trains a slayer." Off his confused looked, she continued. "I'm not saying you train people to fight, but that's not all a Watcher does. They don't have super powers but they know, like…everything there is to know. They're the ones researching. And they're always around to help, even when it's inconvenient."

She turned back to him for a split second to find a wide grin spreading across his face.

The slayer glared at him. "Stop that." The grin grew wider. "I said stop! I was just pointing out the obvious."

"Fine! Okay!" he replied with a laugh and a nod. The smile did not go away in the slightest though.

Maddie huffed and folded her arms as the tow truck approached from the distance.


	26. Chapter Twenty Five: Friends

**Chapter Twenty Five: Friends**

* * *

**A/N: Okay, there's seriously a lot going on in the chapter...Like, a _lot_. I thought about cutting it a little short or giving you guys more Staddie. Guess which one I went with!**

**Also, for those who don't know, there is a trailer for From Ashes! Check out the links on my profile.**

* * *

Maddie put a hand over her mouth as it stretched open in a lengthy yawn. Stiles had been arguing about closing times with the only remaining mechanic at the shop – or was he really talking to a giraffe that happened to know how to fix cars? She could've sworn…

She blinked rapidly and squinted. No, it was a human being. That made much more sense.

The slayer groaned, unsure if her hallucinations were getting better or worse. She managed to close her eyes for a few minutes in the jeep at least but she was dreading heading back to the Argents to try and get some actual rest. She never really believed in all of Willow's ramblings about energies of places and inanimate objects, but the moment she walked in that door every day she could feel the hostility barraging her for merely existing. Sure, Chris, Allison's dad, hadn't actually said or done anything that could be considered accusatory as of late, but the backhanded comments from Victoria and the sickening boasting from Gerard made her life miserable. Then, of course, there was Allison – who may never speak to her again. Not that Maddie thought she was in the wrong.

Maddie paced idly to keep herself standing as Stiles walked back over to her and the mechanic pushed the jeep into the garage. Stiles cleared his throat and Maddie stopped as he began to speak. "So, it's gonna be like an hour. Is that okay?"

Maddie shrugged. "Are there chairs in the waiting room?"

"Yeah – two, I think."

"Good enough." She dug around her jacket pocket and pulled out her phone, thinking for a second. Not extraneously, per se – but with her disturbing and sometimes horrifying hallucinations, she guessed it would be best to tell Xander about the more pressing issues before she passed out. Swiping through her contacts, she didn't bother to glance back up at Stiles as she continued. "You go ahead. This won't take long."

"…Y'know, you don't have to stay."

"Like hell," she said, her head shooting up finally as she tried at an incredulous glare. It probably didn't look that way though; she supposed all of her expressions right now were practically identical – _tired_. "Every time I leave you alone for more than a few minutes, you're in danger."

He gaped at her for a second. "That's not even-"

"I'll be right in." Without another glance at him, Maddie looked back down at her phone and pressed 'call' before holding it up to her ear. Stiles rolled his eyes exasperatedly, mumbled something under his breath, and strode back into the building alone. As she watched him head inside, she vaguely wondered who she was really guarding these days. The thought didn't go any further before the hoarse and exhausted voice of her watcher rang in her ear with a moderately annoyed 'hello'. "It's me."

**"Me, who?"**

"Mister Harris…"

**"Nope, pretty sure that's my name."**

"First of all, that stopped being funny when I was nine." She huffed loudly into the phone. "I have information."

**"And here I thought you were calling to say hi."** Even with the slightly irate tone, it was still a bit endearing. _Familiar_. **"Okay, what's the news?"**

It all came out in one big jumble, but maybe that's because whatever was left of her filter had been tossed away in her current state. She couldn't even tell if her words were all that clear at that point, and hopefully not a huge mess of nonsensical sounds. They just poured out one after the other until she ran out of words all together. It almost blended in with the sound of Stiles arguing with the mechanic.

**"Um… Yeah, okay."**

She frowned, even though she knew he couldn't see it. "That made sense, right?"

**"…Sure."**

"Xander."

**"I got it all, Mads, believe me. Although, I'm not entirely sure what the ice skating for cell phones part was all about."**

"What?" she asked immediately, trying to recall the words but coming up with nothing. She sighed and shook her head. "Never mind that."

**"Alright, so the Alpha has a pack."**

"Right."

**"One of his betas' dads is killed."**

"Yeah."

**"By one of the wolves?"**

She opened her mouth to speak and then closed it again when she came up with nothing. "We're not sure. Scott's looking into it."

**"Then let him look into it and get some sleep."** Maddie was about to protest when Xander cut her off. **"Look, I _know_ that tone. You can't keep doing this, Maddie."**

"Doing what?" she asked, sounding more than a little dumbfounded. She slightly turned to the car garage at the sound of shouting but rolled her eyes, almost picturing Stiles throwing a fit over his car.

**"Running yourself into the ground like this. You haven't sounded this bad since-"**

"I don't know what you're talking about," she snapped back.

Xander audibly sighed.** "Just…get some shut eye, kid. The world will still be there after a good eight hours. Ten, in your case. Then you can call back and maybe make some coherent sentences."**

She paused, looking down at the cement sidewalk before grumbling, "I'll do what I can."

**"S'all I ask."** Silence passed for a short moment, but a comfortable one. **"Night, Hayes."**

"Night." She lowered her phone from her ear and hit the 'end' button, feeling somewhat lighter regardless of how short the conversation had been. She needed that – the familiarity of her Watcher lecturing her on something as ridiculous as sleep. It almost made her miss headquarters, although the thought made her scoff. _I wouldn't go that far._

Before she had a moment to take another slow breath, an ear-piercing, unearthly screech reached her ears, jolting her brain into red alert. She dropped her phone in her pocket and bolted for the front door, ripping it open and looking around the waiting room. Fear rose in her chest instantly as she found Stiles on the floor, motionless. "Oh my god!"

**"Nine-one-one, what's your emergency?"** she heard from the ground. Her eyes darted over to the phone beside the boy and quickly swooped it up.

"Yeah, hello?" she started, kneeling down beside Stiles and noticing his eyes wide open and darting around. Still, he wasn't moving. She tried to follow his frantic stare as she went on. "I think something's…"

Her voice dropped off completely as she found her eyes glued to the threshold leading to the garage. Blood pooled all around the beams of steel as it leaked from the crushed and severed corpse on the ground. Above it was something she had never seen before. The form almost resembled a human but the tail nearly doubled its length. Green scales covered its form and contrasted with its yellow eyes.

It screeched again – this time, louder and more menacing – and bolted out of sight in the very next second, nearly causing Maddie to drop the phone.

**"Ma'am, hello? Are you still there?"** she barely heard from the speaker.

* * *

It'd been nearly fifteen minutes before Stiles regained full function of his limbs and proceeded to explain what he saw. It'd been barely a minute or two later when the police arrived, followed by an ambulance.

For once, when she told Sherriff Stilinski that she didn't see what happened, she was telling the truth. Although, now, she only was reminded of how she had been feet away and didn't stop it. Another person dead on her watch, another failure. She shook her head furiously as people rushed past her and red lights flashed in her face. She tried not to rub her eyes even though the light stung a bit. The day had been hellish to say the least and she was beginning to think Xander was right. Maybe if she had been fully rested, she would've realized that the shouting was for help. Maybe she could've chased down the creature that did it.

She took slow, even steps toward the back of the ambulance that Stiles currently sat it and watched as his father walked off. The slayer stopped beside the boy and looked down at his hand. "You alright?"

He looked up at her, his wide brown eyes dejected as he nodded. "Yeah…yeah, I'm good."

She meant to say 'good', or something along those lines, but the word got caught in her throat. Was it that difficult to have a peaceful conversation with him? She silently cursed her pride as it got to her, even now of all times. She swallowed hard and hugged her jacket close. "_God_, I just want to go to sleep."

The look on Stiles' face was curious for a second before he gave her a half-hearted smile. "About time."

She almost sheepishly rolled her eyes and punching him in the arm – this time gently, almost playfully. "Shut up, Stiles."

Even though he did flinch, afterward, he looked from her loosely balled fist to her drooping eyes that made her seem like she would pass out right there on the spot. Unfortunately, she felt as though that were a possibility. His gaze averted to the people passing as he spoke again. "I, uh, texted Scott to pick us up. The Jeep's in lock up right now so he can give you a ride home."

"Good," she said, grimacing at her response until she added, "Thanks."

It was a long silence between them before Scott pulled up in his mom's car and both Maddie and Stiles made a bee line for it. As Stiles, got in on the passenger side, Maddie practically collapsed in the backseat as soon as she closed the door. Scott looked back at her and then to Stiles. "…Is she okay?"

"I'm not _entirely_ sure but, ah…" Stiles began with a shrug. "I think she might be a little tired. Long day and all."

She might have glared at the boy if she hadn't already been out like a light.

* * *

_The ground was soft and moist beneath her bare feet as she walked carefully into the forest. A warm breeze tousled her hair slightly and the full moon shined down brightly on her. She blinked then. The full moon. That meant something, didn't it? She gazed up at it curiously and gasped. The moon was terrifyingly massive; it almost took up a third of the whole night sky. She felt that it was hanging so low to her that she could almost touch it. Her fingered twitched at her side. She raised her hand slowly and shakily into the sky, reaching for the moon._

_That's when she heard it._

_A howl._

_It was so sudden and so loud that her outstretched arm stopped completely. She instantaneously turned in the direction she'd heard the mournful sound from. Mournful? Is that how she would describe it? Lonely, even? Whatever it was, she decided to walk towards it. Dead leaves crunched beneath her feet as she neared the recurring sound. No. No, not one sound. There were several now. Her breath caught at that moment and she stopped in her tracks._

_She closed her eyes and took a deep breath._

_The howling stopped._

_Her eyes snapped open to a horrifying scene. Bodies. Bloodied, severed, and moving. Halved bodies moving towards her, reaching for her with pale, clawed fingers. She knew this, all of it. She'd seen it before, hadn't she? Something was off though; the bodies – pale and discolored – all had arrows jutting out of their skin. _

_The longer she looked, the farther the field of bodies stretched. _

_"They're going to take it."_

_The feminine voice pierced the air, loud enough to be just behind Maddie. The slayer spun around on her heel, shock gripping at her very bones. Relief would've struck her at the sight of Lydia in front of her if not for the dirty and torn formal dress and the spatters of blood. Her strawberry blonde hair was matted with mud and her green eyes were wide – terrified – as they looked just over Maddie's shoulder._

_Horror still throttled her, only allowing her voice to come out in a shaken whisper. "Take what?"_

_Lydia didn't turn away or shift her gaze._

_Maddie mustered the strength to raise the volume of her voice, if only by a fraction. "Lydia! What are they taking?!"_

_The world slowed as Lydia's terror struck stare met Maddie's. She opened her mouth but words were not what left it. _

_She screamed; it was a sound so deafening that Maddie clasped her hands around her ears and nearly doubled over in pain. The shrill sound went on and on, louder and louder as it felt as if with it brought a weight being down upon her. _

_That was when a large, clawed hand grasped at her neck squeezing tightly. _

Her eyes snapped open and she sat up straight at the sound of her door creaking open. It took her a brief moment to focus her eyes, but when she did, she was met with the sight of Allison half in her room and half in the hallway. The slightly older girl's eyes were wide and she was gaping slightly but quickly shut her mouth and formed a tight smile on her lips. "...Let me guess – slayer hearing?"

Maddie pursed her lips and looked over at the plastic storage bin that she used as a nightstand. On it, beside a small black lamp, was her phone, tethered to the wall by her charger. Pressing the side of it, the phone flickered to life, showing her the time in large, white numbers. _7:04 AM._ She groaned and turned her entire body so that she was sitting on the edge of the bed. It had even been nine o'clock last night when Scott had picked them up and she couldn't remember anything after that. That was when she looked down, noticing she was still wearing the same clothes as last night, down to her boots. Her head swiveled back to the tall brunette. "Please tell me you know how I got here last night."

Allison nodded and almost laughed. Almost. "Yeah, I do."

"Mind filling me in?" Maddie asked, her voice still groggy.

"You've been out cold all night. Scott couldn't come near the house, so Stiles and I carried you all the way here."

"…oh."

Before Maddie said anything else, Allison went on. "Oh, and my dad wanted to let you know that sleep is _very_ important and depriving yourself of it could get people hurt."

"Right. Got it." The slayer rolled her eyes as she stood up and stretched her limbs. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Allison backing into the hall again when a pang of guilt ran through her. "Allison! I, ah…I just wanted to.- "

"No time to talk! We gotta get ready for school, remember?" In a flash, Allison had edged entirely out of the room.

Maddie frowned slightly. "…Sure, yeah."

She was about to walk over to the door to close it when Allison popped her head back in, a cheeky grin on her face. "By the way, after the game tonight, we have training."

Maddie quirked an eyebrow. "We?"

"_We_ – as in both of us. It took forever to do but I talked my dad into it. I thought it'd be nice if we learned to collaborate a little. It might make it easier to understand each other." Allison's smile wasn't quite as wide but it was still present as she added, "I mean, as far as our fighting techniques, obviously."

Though cautious and a bit confused, Maddie felt the corners of her mouth stretch ever so slightly upward. "Obviously."

"And Maddie?"

"Yeah?"

There was a brief pause before Allison gave a nod. "I'm sorry, too." The smile returned almost immediately to Allison's face, this time much softer. "Now go get ready!"

With that, the door was shut and Madeline was left briefly with much lighter thoughts. In that moment though, her dream slithered back into her brain. Arrows. Lydia screaming. That hand back around her neck. None of it made any sense. Part of her wanted to pass it off as an ordinary dream, that she was overreacting. She could even remember a time when she was younger and thought every dream was a prophetic slayer dream. Fortunately, Pennywise the clown never ended up traveling all the way to Scotland to murder her.

Still, this was no ordinary dream; she could feel it.

_Something_ was coming.

* * *

"I am not doing this!"

"C'mon! It's not that weird."

"It's actually weirder."

Stiles dramatically rolled his eyes and slumped his shoulders. "They're our friends and they're asking us for our help. Now, get over it and give me the message."

"The message you're going to give Scott?" Maddie asked.

"Yes."

"In public?"

"That's kinda what the sign outside that says 'Beacon Hills public high school' implies. Now hurry up! You're wasting my free period."

"Fine!" Maddie growled and dug her phone out of her pocket and swiping her index finger over the front of it.

"Wait, did you seriously write it down?"

Maddie huffed, sounding more than a little exasperated. She hadn't even had to eat yet that morning and now her little free time was being used up by Allison and Scott. Her eyes scrolled over the message and then they briefly flicked up to Stiles who was looking a bit impatient to begin with. This was downright embarrassing. She would never be so needlessly sentimental if she were in Allison's position with a boyfriend, so it made even more sense that she would never say anything like what was written down to someone she didn't see that way – especially Stiles. Still, it was too late; she _had_ force herself to relay the message, for Allison's sake. She wasn't screwing up a second chance.

Looking down at the text, she clearly her throat. "I'm so sorry about the other day. I'm trying. We'll get through this." She grimaced, not daring to look up for even a second, and continued to choke out the words. "I know because I love you. I love you more than- You know what?" She looked up at him, noting that he looked just about as uncomfortable as she felt. "Not doing this. I'll text it to you. Go tell Scott."

The boy across from her, who had taken to looking anywhere but at her, nodded vehemently. "Yeah, that was too weird." He then pointed to the ground right between them. "Meeting here for the next message?"

"As long as it's not like this one."

"Agreed."

* * *

**_Ten minutes later._**

"A bestiary!" Stiles nearly shouted as he ran back to the spot outside the cafeteria that had met at previously. Maddie had run there as well, but didn't sound quite as out of breath. "The…the Argents should have one! And _please_ tell me you know what a bestiary is."

Maddie furrowed her eyebrows. "Of course I do. What kind of question is that?"

"Okay, ask Allison if-"

"Wait, if you're looking for a bestiary, why not just ask me?"

This time, Stiles was the one who looked confused as he spoke up. "What? Why?"

Maddie pointed to herself, giving Stiles a deadpan stare. "Um, hello, Vampire Slayer. Watchers kept ancient texts on all kinds of big bads for centuries. I mean, we don't have the resources that we had, say, ten years ago, but I can drop them a text. They might know something."

An amused smile began to form on his lips. "Hold on - _big bads_?"

She folded her arms across her chest and glared at the boy, feeling almost self-conscious. "Shut up."

"Okay, well, you contact them but we need quick results here. The Argents might have something a little more accessible."

"Let's hope." She let out a long sigh. "How many more times do you think we're going to have to do this?"

"Is it wrong of me to say 'too many'?"

She let out a small laugh and shook her head. "See you in ten?"

He grinned at her, wider than before. "Only if you promise to use more catchy slayer phrases."

She rolled her eyes so hard, it hurt as she turned on her heel and headed back over to where Allison was waiting.


	27. Chapter Twenty Six: Warning

**A/N: A month! I am so sorry, guys! It's been a trying time, but here's chapter 26! Shit is going down. This is def the most important chapter yet, though! So, without further adieu...**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty Six: Warning**

* * *

Back and forth they went, for the rest of the free period, while Maddie vaguely realized something peculiar. For the first since she set foot in that god forsaken town, she didn't completely hate having to talk to Stiles – in fact, it was strangely…_nice_. She shook her head violently; _nice_ was not a word she wanted to associate with, of all headaches, Stiles Stilinski. It was weird enough referring to Allison and Lydia as her friends; she couldn't quite imagine adding more names to that list. Or even the possibility of accepting that people like Stiles and Scott had already reached friend status without her permission. It was absolutely infuriating.

Even when they decided how to split up during the game that night, she had opted to team up with Stiles. _Opted_ to. Of her own free will.

_"Wha- Really?" Stiles cleared his throat and scratched the back of his head. "I mean why?"_

Certainly, there was a great, completely straightforward, and undeniably logical answer for this. She just couldn't think of it. Especially when Allison, Scott, and Stiles had all been giving her such expectant looks.

_"Because you're a magnet for trouble."_

Yeah, that was why. _Exactly_.

Now, Maddie found herself kicking the grass behind the bleachers and keeping out of sight from Gerard. She could still hear him though as he used that deceiving, kindly old man tone. She had done her best to keep away from him at all costs since he came to town; she even locked her door at night. Well, she did when she was awake to do so.

That was when she thought back to the night prior and how little she remembered of it. She recalled her confrontation with Erica and the incident at the Auto Shop. She even vaguely remembered Scott picking her and Stiles up – but that's where it ended. Allison and Stiles carried her in last night and she didn't wake up at all? Exactly how tired had she been?

That was an easy question to answer though. She'd been exhausted from the moment Peter Hale was killed. That's when she started having trouble sleeping. Guilt she had buried down deep from another time had surfaced the moment she saw Lydia lying there in the grass, motionless. Of course, it only got worse from there when Gerard got to town and killed that omega. Then Derek turning Isaac, Erica, and Boyd? It was too much; there were already too many lives that had been given a death sentence.

All it took was another death to realize just how useless she was without rest. She even risked her friend's life doing so. She was lucky she got there before…

There she went again – calling Stiles her _friend_. She frowned and kicked the grass harder this time. In the very next moment, she caught sight of something large out of the corner of her eye – although it was unnaturally quick enough that she almost didn't. In one swift and fluid movement, she landed a sharp kick to whatever it was, sending it flying. It landed with a hard thud and a grunt from the creature.

No, not a creature – well, sort of not a creature. A _boy_. In a severe turn, rage began to boil under her skin as she slipped her compact crossbow out of the inside of her jacket and its sides sprung outward to full size. She marched directly over to the boy on the ground and placed a firm boot on his collarbone as he tried to sit up. She stomped him back into the dirt and grass, pointing the bolt at his throat. He looked just about as shocked as the last time she him – at the Sherriff's station. "Isaac."

The beta swallowed and stayed still, breathing heavily. "Maddie. Mind letting me up?"

"Actually…" She pressed the sole of her boot harder into his chest. "I really do."

There was a tinge of malice in her voice as she glared down at the boy who, weeks earlier, she had held an amiable conversation with in the middle of a cemetery. She tightened her grip on her crossbow as he choked out a quiet laugh. "He, ah...he warned us about you."

"No, he _warned_ you about the Slayer," she growled, leaning towards him. She thought back to the skittish boy in the cemetery and the frail girl surrounded by bullies…and then the wolves that attacked Scott and Stiles. She had just made up with Allison but the war was still coming and she was still an Argent. She would be a target. Her eyes narrowed on him, a blaze of anger behind her dark irises as they met his blue ones. "You touch any of my people – _any_ one of them – and you'll find out what _I_ can do. And I swear to the Powers That Be…"

She sneered and ground her shoe down a little more, venom coating her voice as it rolled out from the darkest reaches of her mind.

"You'll _beg_ for prison."

She promptly removed her foot and kept the bolt of the crossbow steadily aimed on Isaac as he backed up quickly and stood. He was probably bruised pretty badly or worse, as she hadn't bothered to listen for a 'crack'. His breathing was ragged and his face was pained as he held the spot on his chest where her foot had been. "You know…we're not on different sides. The hunters will turn on you, too."

Maddie knew that already. Of course she knew; she had known it from the moment she sat at the Argents' table and every day since. Her jaw clenched tightly as her dark stare remained fixed on the werewolf. "This is your only warning. Leave. _Now_."

He backed away just in time for the slayer to hear the footsteps behind her, causing her to spin on her heel and instinctively point her crossbow at the stranger. There stood Stiles, hands raised in defense and a shocked look on his face as he spoke in a hushed tone. "Whoa, okay! I don't know what I did but-"

Maddie looked just about as shocked and quickly looked behind her again. Isaac had disappeared into thin air in a matter of seconds, leaving only the backdrop of the shadowed woods in the distance. She sighed and ran the fingers of her free hand through her hair as she lowered the weapon. "…Sorry."

The word seemed almost forced but the boy's eyes widened in surprise nonetheless. "Er, uh…s'okay." He blinked a few more times and shook his head slightly, as if snapping out of a trance. He raised his hand and a ring of keys dangled from it. "Come on, let's go."

As Stiles led them away from the field, Maddie kept her weapon low but her finger on the trigger. She didn't trust Erica or Isaac to simply leave with no fuss – they weren't exactly the people they used to be. She especially didn't trust Derek to be far behind; for all she knew, he could've been watching. She would've liked to think that that was because he knew he couldn't take her but, after their first confrontation, she knew that was a lie. Sure, she was more prepared for him this time around, but he had a lot longer than eight years to hone his power.

The dimly lit parking lot was only partially full, regardless of the game going on, although it did make it much easier to see their destination from where they were. The two walked side by side in a strangely comfortable silence, a short distance between them. Maddie decided that Stiles was much easier to deal with when he wasn't talking and her temper was much simpler to control when she didn't have to reply. One thing that was beginning to irk her though was the side glances. Perhaps it was her complacent attitude or the fact that she still had her crossbow out as they walked in a public place, but she had caught him glancing over at her every few minutes.

The one thing that irritated her more was the fact that she noticed only because she was guilty of the same.

Part of her must've been worried that if she didn't, something would happen. She was beginning to believe her own hype, clearly; if she took her attention off of the utterly defenseless boy, he'd find trouble. It was almost a guarantee.

In fact, when he stopped, she was sure it was because he found something dangerous. He held up just his index finger to Maddie before rushing over to the only car in the parking lot with its lights still on. Not just any car, though. Perfectly coiffed, pale red tresses could just barely be seen in the window. The slayer found herself fighting to stay over where she was as she heard the choked sobs and sniffling. _No_, she scolded herself. _Focus_.

"Hey, Lydia, what's wrong? Lydia, come on –"

"Just go away."

"What's wrong?"

Suddenly, she wished Stiles had handed her the keys as it dawned upon her that she was stuck standing there, listening. Too _afraid_ to walk over. She was never good with other people's emotions anyway. Stiles was, though, as much as she didn't want to admit it; he seemed to have a knack for helping people on a level that she couldn't. He even knew something was wrong just before the insomnia really started to show on her face – and before anyone else noticed either. He was the first to ask if she was okay. He could barely stand her and he asked if she was alright – who the _hell_ does that? She was almost envious of him.

"Look, I don't need anyone seeing my cry."

"Ah, come on, Lydia. Look, you shouldn't care if people see you cry, all right? Especially you."

In the back of her head, she was suddenly reminded of exactly why he rushed over when Maddie herself hadn't even noticed it was Lydia's car until he was already over there. _'He's had this massive crush on Lydia since they were kids.'_ Those had been Allison's exact words. Allison, the girl who had been with her werewolf boyfriend for god knows how long. Then there were Stiles and Lydia – or Lydia and Jackson. Either way, it was a bitter reminder that she had not allowed herself the time to entertain trivial thoughts of boys or _liking_ someone, not since… She didn't want to think about that though. Honestly, she was still getting used to freeing up space in her head for 'friends'; anything beyond that led her back to miserable thoughts of duty and fate. Even now, thinking about it made her insides twist up ever so slightly.

"Why?"

"Because I think you look really beautiful when you cry."

It was a bit endearing still, regardless of Maddie's own screwed up circumstances. Even as uncomfortable as she felt – and, oh boy, did she ever – she was grateful someone like Lydia had someone like Stiles to care about her. If Maddie's life had gone differently, she'd wish for that – or something like it. At least, she thought she would.

She shook her head violently. Now wasn't the time for this.

She wasn't expecting the hesitation when Lydia spoke – or what she said at or that matter. "You- …no. You don't have the time. Maddie needs you."

The color drained from the Slayer's face for two reasons. One – the statement in lieu of her thoughts only moment ago left her horrified. '_Maddie needs you.' Pfft. Like hell._ Two – how did Lydia even know she was there? The brunette took a step forward into view, and gave Lydia a slight wave with one hand while hiding her crossbow behind her back with the other. "Uh, actually, I really don't."

Lydia's red, glassy eyes reflected in the driver's side mirror. Hers, though, were not the only set of eyes that were now on Maddie. At Lydia's words, Stiles' head had turned back to her in an instant as his face looked just about horrified.

Wait, no.

Not _horrified_.

Shocked, sure. She could definitely identify shock. Shock, as if he had momentarily forgotten she was there. There was what seemed like an extended moment where he seemed to be trying decipher something – almost the same look he had given her the night in the school. Less accusatory, though. Maybe more confused.

In fact, increasingly confused as he looked back and forth between her and Lydia. He paused for a moment and cursed quietly, although Maddie heard it clearly. "Ah, crap."

Lydia's face, while still left with streaks of tears, bore a mild amount of annoyance as she looked away slightly. Maddie's eyes shot downward, a mixture of frustration and guilt behind them.

"I'll be back-"

No, he wouldn't.

"-I, er, I just have this thing-"

This was painful to watch.

"- five minutes, that's it. I'll be back and we can talk, I swear."

If he had given Maddie the keys he could've just stayed. _Like he'd agree to that._

"...Actually, we'll both be back."

Maddie's head snapped back up and glared at Stiles. She discovered he was looking her way and giving her a pleading stare. She opened her mouth to argue – _obviously_ to argue – but what came out was certainly not an argument. "…Sure, yeah." Suddenly, she was irritated with herself but she wasn't sure if it was because she had been enlisted to help or because she acted like it was a chore. "What are friends for?"

Lydia didn't respond and Maddie couldn't blame her. She'd been so consumed with her own problems, she felt like she hadn't spent even a moment with Lydia in weeks. Stiles gave her an appreciative nod and fast walked away from the car and right past her. She jogged to close the distance before walking at the same pace and into the school.

This was terrible; she felt like an entirely different person. She hated being so…_agreeable_. Something about Lydia, though, made her fold each time. Maybe it was the other girl's no nonsense attitude. Hell, maybe it was just pity. Of course, that was the hope and would most likely be the lie she would tell herself to rationalize things.

They entered the school while an awkward silence settled thickly between the two and continued as they reached the principal's office. Stiles quickly unlocked the door and pushed it open. Maddie swerved past him as she checked her phone. She had described the creature to Dawn, Buffy's sister and their resident book expert, in as much detail as possible but hadn't heard a word from her all day. _Of course not, _she reasoned with herself. _There are thousands of demons in the world with that same description._ A wave of relief washed over her when she found Dawn's name under new messages but she frowned again when she found it was only another question.

**Dawn** 『_your friend said he recognized its eyes? like it might be a shape shifter?_』

_Exactly! Is there something like that? _Her thumbs raced across the tiny keyboard, completely bypassing the fact that Dawn had actually called Stiles her friend. There was no use fighting it, she supposed. She probably spent more time with Stiles than anyone else in that town anyway, even if it wasn't by choice. Not at first at least, the bitter thought entered her head without permission. Maybe she owed him that much. Not that he'd want to be her friend either.

"What are you doing?!" he whispered in a harsh tone.

Her head flew up again and she shoved her phone back into her pocket. "Nothing! Just…getting info on my side."

"Anything yet?" He sounded almost hopeful.

She sighed and shook her head. Without another word, he went back to rummaging through drawers, as did she. After ten minutes of absolutely nothing that either of them could describe as a leather bound book, they both took a step back, defeated. Stiles pulled out his phone and began typing. That was when the slayer heard the distinct sound of heels clicking in the hallway and narrowed her eyes on the door. She instinctively raised the crossbow again as the sides sprung back out.

In the very next moment, Erica came striding into view, looking rather pleased with herself. The smile on her painted lips grew. "I was _really_ hoping Isaac was right."

Stiles looked up the moment the beta had spoken and took a step back as Maddie placed herself in front of him, aiming the bolt at the wolf's throat.

The blonde looked slightly past Maddie to the boy behind her. "Hi, Stiles." Her eyes slowly returned to the stoic, brunette girl. "Hey, Maddie? Do you remember the last time we talked? Like, _really_ talked?"

Maddie's mouth remained a thin line as she stayed perfectly still, debating whether or not to pull the trigger on the crossbow.

"Because the thing is…here you are. Both of you." She tilted her head slightly. "Always Stiles and Maddie. _Every_...single...time."

The slayer raised an eyebrow, trying with all of her will to erase the memory and keep her anger in check. "I _really _don't have time this; can we _please_ fight?"

Erica seemed to ignore the comment and instead sniffed the air before letting out a soft chuckle, her eyes still dead set on Maddie. Sure, wolves could smell certain things, but Maddie had nothing to hide. Especially not...

"…Hm. Isn't that interesting." It was enough of a comment to confuse the slayer for just a moment - to lose her concentration and her grip to loosen just enough. In that second, Erica sped past her at break-neck speed and grabbed Stiles by the neck. Maddie spun around immediately, facing the girl whose eyes now viciously gleamed yellow and whose claws now dug slightly into the boy's neck. "But what's even more interesting is that he'll be dead before you make that shot."

A moment. It had only been a moment. Her jaw tightened and her finger twitched on the trigger before she took a breath and lowered the crossbow completely.

The bright yellow of Erica's eyes dimmed and she nodded toward the door. "C'mon. Derek's waiting."

It was a short, tense walk as they entered a room cast in a soft, blue glow. Maddie almost forgot about the large room they stood in, seeing as she hadn't been by the pools since her last late night school adventure. Her hand almost went into her jacket to grab her weapon at the sight of a mildly smug Derek but instead kept her arms folded in front of her. She remembered the last time she faced off with him, before he was an Alpha at that. Now, she knew he would be much stronger and had back up to boot. She wasn't fool enough to think she could win – but, _gods_, she wanted to hurt him.

Erica finally let Stiles go, shoving him nearly into Maddie. He rubbed the red marks on his neck as the Alpha began to speak.

"Stiles." Holding a basketball in one hand, Derek's eyes traveled from the defenseless boy to the girl next to him. "And…Maddie, right?"

Stiles nodded while still holding his neck. "Derek."

Maddie continued to glare silently.

"What'd you see at the mechanic's garage?"

"Ah…several alarming EPA violations that I'm seriously considering reporting," Stiles answered. Maddie once again said nothing.

Derek didn't seem to react all that much at first until the claws on his other hand were revealed to them and proceeded into the side of the basketball, draining all of the air entirely out.

"…Holy god," Stiles muttered as the girl beside him struggled not to reach for the crossbow for the second time.

Derek watched them both calmly. "Let's try that again."

* * *

"You are _overreacting_, my son," the thickly bearded, dark-haired man began, his deep, scratchy Southern drawl melting over his tone. "For weeks you've been _ravin'_! Gettin' our people riled up with a bed time story!"

A slightly younger man with long blond hair stood at the head of a larger group, his grotesque deformed brow sloping over her sickly yellow eyes like those behind him. "I swear on the most holy herself, Father. A slayer came from the beacon and slaughtered three of your children." He spun around to face the murmuring crowd. "Part of our _family_! They were dead in mere minutes!"

"That certainly is a bold accusation, what with hunters now at our borders." The bearded man paced slowly back and forth. "Slayers have had the good sense to keep out of these parts for some time now. Which means…" He stopped pacing and took a few measured steps toward the blond haired young man, causing the crowd to take several steps backward. "You. Are. _Lying_."

"I'm not! …I…I would never…not to you…"

The pale, rounder brunet man grinned. "You know what happens to liars, Bartholomew."

Bartholomew shrank back and shook his head fervently. "No! No, please! She…she brought others with her! From the beacon! Two humans and…"

The bearded man was humming as he got closer and reached into his pocket.

"No! You have to believe me, she-" He kept begging and begging as the older man stood merely a foot away, still grinning and humming. The platinum haired man threw something small on the ground. "SHE BROUGHT A WOLF!"

There was a unison gasp that sounded from those behind him and the man looking his in the eye had stopped. The grin was gone as he looked down. He bent down and picked up what had fallen, holding in his hand a lone claw. There was a long, tense silence that throttled them all. The round man closed his fist around the claw and looked up at the other man, eyes wild even after he took an unneeded breath. "…You did well, my son."

The blond haired monster nodded.

"While I have my doubts about the Slayer returnin', we have something far worse." He took a step back, threw his head back and laughed a boisterous laugh. "We have a breach of _contract_! A family of dogs cast us from the garden to wallow in dead fields!" He began to pace again. "They have _starved_ us! Taken away the one thing that could make us _strong_!"

The murmurs rose again.

"And now…_Now_ they may have aligned themselves the beast that seeks the destruction of our kind! That _destroyed_ our holy land! The _true_ hunters!" His balled fist grew tighter as blood trickled from it. "WELL, I SAY NAY! Nay, my children! We will plague their fields and _poison_ their hounds! We…will burn their beacon of light to the ground and tear their world asunder."

A roar of cheers and applause erupted from the crowd.

"We will build our kingdom on their bones and BRING OUR MOTHER HOME TO FEAST ON THEIR KIN!"

The raucous crowd got louder and louder.

"But first!" With these words, the crowd's energy ebbed in seconds. The brunet man, gripped the blond, skinny man's shoulder tightly. "Bartholomew did not warn us of the wolf in our midst for _weeks_. For that... my childe, you must be punished."

The man's yellow eyes widened in horror as the older man in front of him smiled widely, his face transforming into the same ridged forehead and yellow eyes. Fangs poked out from his grin as he held up a large vile that read_ Holy Water_ on the front. Bartholomew's head shook vigorously. "No... No! PLEASE!"

"Drink…and be cleansed, son." He calmly handed the vile to the young man who had been reduced to tears but shakily obliged all the same. The crowd watched smoke escape from their brother's throat and listened to the sound of organs searing. The entire vile wasn't even empty before a pile of ash fell at their feet. The older man ran a hand through his long brown locks before stretching his arms out wide, dropping to his knees, and looking to the sky. "Know that brother Bartholomew's sacrifice is not in vain! He has shown us the way to _salvation_! And we will honor him as we enter a new age!"

The crowd began to fall to their knees as well, clasping their hands together and bowing their heads.

The brunet man's arms fell limp and his chuckled again to the heavens. "The age…of the _vampire_."

Murmurs and whispers got louder among the large group of demons.

"In the mother's name…_AMEN_!"


	28. Chapter Twenty Seven: Kanima

**A/N: Notice how long this chapter is. BUT it's important. Super hella important. We're nearing the end of Act Two rapidly now and act three is going to totally mess with you, I swear to god. So, for now, revel in your action scenes, Buffy fan service, and huge bit of fluff!**

**Psst, also, don't forget to visit the the official From Ashes tumblr~! Follow me at apxcalypserising! **

**Anyway, enjoy!**

**Song Recommendation [**"Compass" - Zella Day**]**

**NOTE: For the full experience, I do personally suggest seeking out each song rec.**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty Seven: Kanima**

* * *

The cracking sound her shoulder made when she rolled it made Buffy grimace for a second. She knew she should've stretched before heading out for patrol.

Her heels clicked rhythmically as she descended the stairs, passing a few younger girls on the way. They smiled brightly and greeted her, which she replied with a quick, chaste smile of her own. Tonight was definitely not a stellar night to begin with and it showed clearly on the blonde's face; the last thing she was up for was small talk with the mini slayers.

Not really mini, actually. Lots of them were taller than her. She exhaled loudly and set her scythe down on the metal table by the stairs.

The room was darker than usual as the only source of light came from the other side, which was only the soft blue glow of computer monitors. At the largest computer was a girl with loosely tied up hair whose head was propped up in her hand. A few seats away, leaning far too much in the chair he was in, was a man whose head was slumped over to the side. Buffy rolled her eyes and felt around on the cool, off-white wall until she found the light switch, flicking it on.

"Rise and…" This didn't seem to stir either of them as the blonde thirty-something strolled over to the monitors. As she thought, there was Dawn passed out on one side and Xander with the very same issue on the other. It wasn't even that late at night. Of course, this was the price of pulling an all-nighter on research so she couldn't fault them for it. Buffy's lips pursed for a mildly annoyed moment and she grumbled out, "…shine."

The slayer's equally tired green eyes passed from the two slumbering scoobies to Dawn's computer screen. Usually, she liked to keep away from unnecessary research – and, honestly, that's why she had a whole team of watchers, right? In her fatigue, though, she found herself a bit curious.

The black background of the page that looked like it had been scanned right out of the watcher's diaries had only three things: a picture that took up half the screen, tiny, white (and blurry at the moment) text, and a title. _Kanima_.

"Hm. Never heard of you before…" she muttered before getting a good look at the creature drawn on the side and making an audible "ugh!" in disgust. The creature was crouched over a corpse, looking up. It appeared to be humanoid, but covered in tiny scales. Its claws were long and curved as one hand was digging deep into the victim's throat and a long tail stretched out behind it. Its pupils were long, thin slits and its teeth – which she put an emphasis on in her head, as there were multiple rows of them – were short and extremely sharp. _I'd hate to be the other guy._

Her curiosity on the matter was brief and she found her need for sleep overpowering. She sighed and was about to back away when the phone by the keyboard buzzed. It was none of her business though. Obviously. After all, it was her sister's phone. There was a moment of hesitation where she was about to leave but found herself picking up the thin brick all the same. Besides, there was nothing wrong with a little harmless snooping.

Buffy pushed the button on the side and the phone illuminated her face entirely. Her curiosity ebbed and the corner of her lip twitched downward. Not in an angry or upset way – not really. More like…she had been caught off guard, like the icy hand of reality slapped her across the face.

**3 MESSAGES**

\- _Maddie_

Her thumb hovered over the notification for what seemed like ages before she tapped the screen.

**Maddie** 『Anything yet?』_Fri 9:51 pm_

**Maddie** 『Dawn?』_Fri 10:13 pm_

**Maddie** 『We have a situation. Get back to me with that info as soon as you can. Please.』_Fri 10:17 pm_

The slayer reread the messages again and then a third time. Her eyes darted over to Dawn, who was snoring lightly. Buffy lifted a hand to set on her sister's shoulder and shake her awake but it paused half way there. She looked back at the phone and groaned quietly.

* * *

Maddie cracked her neck as she stood there, beside Stiles. If she wasn't so apprehensive what with being outnumbered, she might've actually been bored.

"All right, the thing was pretty slick looking. Um, skin was dark. Kind of patterned. Uh, I think I actually saw scales." Maddie felt her pocket vibrate but just as she was about to reach for it, she stopped. Any sudden movement might not bode well for her or Stiles, who seemed nervous but even more annoyed. " Is that enough? Okay, because I've somebody I really need to talk to –"

The request seemed to be shut down with one annoyed glance from Derek. In the meantime, Maddie found herself daring to grab her phone out of her pocket in her anxious curiosity. At the very top of the screen Dawn's name had appeared along with the tiny bold text of '1 NEW MESSAGE'. She tapped on the notification and the new message popped onto his screen.

**Dawn** 『Okay, big ugly lizard demon? Shapeshifter? We're thinking it's called a kanima and emphasis on the ugly』

Maddie raised an eyebrow at the message until it began to sink into her brain. "Kanima…" she whispered under her breath, calling both Derek and Erica's attention. She shoved the phone back into her pocket quickly, cursing quietly at the attention she gained.

"Hrr. All right, fine, eyes. Eyes are, um, yellowish. And slitted. Um, has a lot of teeth," Stiles went on. Shuffling. There was shuffling above Maddie's head. Her eyes float up back to Derek and Erica who were already looking above over her and Stiles. "Oh. And it's got a tail, too. Are we good?" Stiles looked between Derek and Erica, his eyes brightening slightly at their reactions. "What? Wait, have you seen it? You have this look on your faces like you know exactly what I am talking about."

Maddie's eyes were also directed at the stairs above her where the 'kanima' perched, moving slowly and staring at them through slitted pupils. She grabbed the arm of the boy next to her. "…Stiles."

Stiles finally looked up as well and the creature screeched. Both he and Maddie turned to face it and the petite slayer shoved Stiles behind her as she pulled out her crossbow. The reptilian monster shot down from the banister above them to the floor.

Derek roared at the beast just as it whipped Erica into the wall. It was like a jolt to Maddie's brain to something primal as she impulsively shouted, "No!" In the very next moment, she aimed at the kanima and fired a bolt at it which immediately bounced off of its scales. Her dark stare widened in horror.

Before she knew what was happening, she was yanked back by the sleeve of her leather jacket. She felt a bit offended and shocked when she saw it was Derek that had pulled her behind him and edged in front of her and Stiles. He shoved Stiles away as well. "Run!"

Before she could protest, she felt a hand grab hers and tug her away. In the same instant, the kanima had bolted in the blink of an eye over to Derek, scratching him. Stiles seemed to catch this as he spoke up. "Derek, your neck."

The alpha wolf reached for the wound as he stumbled. Without hesitation, Stiles ran forward and caught Derek just before he fell over. Maddie, on the other hand did hesitate but dropped her crossbow anyway and carefully held the werewolf up on his other side. Her heart racing as she looked around for the monster, she spotted the unconscious form of Erica in the distance. Her eyes shot over to Stiles. "You think you can support his weight?"

Stiles was still looking around frantically but answered nonetheless. "Sort of. Barely. Why?"

"Because only one of us is fast enough to get over to Erica without getting caught."

The boy looked over at Maddie with a worried stare but nodded. "Go."

Maddie took a breath before ducking under Derek's arm and sprinting over to the beta. Without a second though, she scooped up the girl and spun around to follow Stiles and Derek out. As she did so, she heard Derek shout to call Scott. As the smaller boy attempted to do so, he dropped both his phone and Derek, who flopped into one of the pools. With one last look at his phone, Stiles dove into the pool after Derek. Maddie found herself rushing over to where he had been standing and looking around the room. The creature had disappeared but let out a eardrum-shattering screech. Erica's form was still limp in her arms as Maddie watched Stiles reach the water's surface with Derek.

"Stay there!" she shouted at the two as the kanima shrieked again, this time closer. Too close. She felt her heart stop for a moment as she turned around to meet the monster face to face, its form crouched down low. She swallowed as fear and rage gripped her bones tightly. "You go after the _wolf_?" she snarled, her eyes narrowing on the creature. "He's nothing!"

Its head tilted slightly and she felt an air of familiarity.

She inched back a bit, ready to run. Hoping it would follow and not allowing any of her almost overbearing fear into her thoughts. "You know which one of us is the real threat."

_I'll come back_, she kept repeating in her head, not wanting to say it out loud. Her eyes shot back over to Stiles and Derek, who were barely above water. Both stares she received were etched with shock. _As soon as I find a safe place to put Erica, I'll come back._ It was only a moment that she exchanged glances with them before she spun back around and began sprinting. She rushed out the door as she heard the monster scream again.

She could hear it behind her on the walls and the ceiling, always a step behind her. Her breathing ragged, she pushed her legs to move faster. Just a little bit faster. She turned so many sharp corners, she had no idea where in the school she was until she saw an open door ahead. A sign beside the threshold was simply labeled 'stairs'. _The basement._ The sounds behind her were a fraction further back than before. It would have to be enough. Pushing her pace as much as she possible could, she entered through the dark passage, nearly tumbling down the stairs, and kicked the door shut with all of the force she could muster.

Out of breath and constantly adjusting the unconscious girl in her arms, she leaned with all of her strength against the door. The kanima's shrill cry echoed through the halls as it scratched on the other side of the door and shoved with all of its weight. The heavy metal door shook thunderously and Maddie squeezed her eyes shut and swallowed, although her throat was painfully dry. She wished desperately that Erica would wake up; she could use the back up. The pounding on the door continued as it dented slightly from the force.

Time passed slowly and suddenly Maddie wished she could reach her phone. Had it been an hour? Maybe longer? She would hear pacing and claws drumming on the linoleum tiles outside the door every so often and even the sound of them fading only momentarily but it would never last and the forced behind the door would return again, each time more and more. It the kanima tried the door again, she probably wouldn't have the strength to hold the door shut.

Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness around her, but not enough to navigate past the landing at the bottom of the steps. She looked down at Erica and took a breath. If she set her down at the bottom of the stairs, she may have enough time before the door opened to charge at the monster and – if she's lucky – get past it and back to Stiles and Derek. There was no time to prep herself mentally for this at all and she felt her fear surge through her. She exhaled loudly and nodded to herself. "Fear is good. Fear's motivation." She shut her eyes again for a second before opening them and letting out another shaky breath. "I got this. Totally got this."

Without another thought, she rushed down the steps and set Erica down in the darkness, just past the landing. It was then she heard the door loudly hit the wall behind her. She whirled around and, upon seeing the shadowed form of the monster, sprinted back up the stairs at full speed. As the snake-like demon attempted to rush her as well, she jumped up and did a sloppy flip over it, narrowly missing its claws. It wasn't a good landing as she tumbled to the ground at the top of the stairs and scrambled back to her feet, off and running again. The kanima shrieked once more and she could already hear its claws against the tile behind her. She was relieved for only a second as she found herself lost in the dark halls.

_Focus. Listen._ She knew there was no way to hone her skills though, not while she was frantically running from something that could easily kill her. She didn't even have her weapon which she silently chastised herself for when she was stuck in the basement. Still, she managed to shake the thought away. As long as she got back to the pools and to her crossbow, she'd be fine. _Trust your instincts._

Faintly, in the distance, she her splashing and voices. Part of her was beginning recognize the halls from her last time in the school at night and she pushed herself to remember more clearly. It was almost by miracle that she saw the dim light from the pools flood the hallway through the open door and she made a sharp turn into the room. She saw the two figures still moving in the water. She ran right past them, even as she heard Stiles attempt to get her attention and over to the loose bolt on the ground. "The water! It won't go in the water!"

That was when something flew under her feet, tripping her. She landed front first on the tile, inches away from the sharpened crossbow bolt and crawling towards it. Just as she felt a hand around her ankle, she had gripped the bolt. The kanima yanked her towards it and as it did, she slashed the point of the bolt at its face with all of her strength. It let her go immediately as it screeched in pain and she kicked it in the side of the head.

In that moment, a roar bellowed from somewhere in the room. Maddie looked up as she scrambled to her feet and found Scott perched on a diving board as Stiles and Derek laid on their backs outside of the pool. Using this as a distraction, she ran over to the two. The creature shook off the attack and looked over at the beta, charging forward and tackling him. Scott rolled out of its grasp and to an attack position mere feet away from the monster. The kanima's tail curled around Scott's ankle and threw him into a mirror set on the wall. Glass shattered everywhere and Maddie was about to head back over to help when the most curious thing happened.

Scott stood there, crouched, with a sliver of glass in his hand like a weapon, but the creature had stopped cold. It was looking at the shard of mirror for several seconds, which seemed to catch Scott off guard as well, and darted away. They all watched as the monster crawled up the walls and through the glass ceiling. Maddie exhaled again, only this time a long, drawn out one in relief.

* * *

It had been two days since the night at the school and she still felt like she needed to catch her breath. She recalled the conversation with Derek and Erica after, thankful that he had said the name of the shapeshifter first, as she was unsure of the pronunciation. _That_ was what she was worried about, the pronunciation. Not the throttling fear of being close to dying. Not the idea of the people she cared about dying. Nope. It was how to say '_kanima_'. She shook her head now, as she strolled among the gravestones in the fenced off cemetery.

She had asked Stiles if he was okay, which seemed to baffle both of them. What confused her further was that she actually cared about the answer. He had asked the same of her and she had only given a slight nod. She seriously needed to work on saying thank you, even if it was only to Stiles. She wanted to ask Erica as well but figured it would be better if she didn't know what happened. It would be easier if she didn't know Maddie probably saved her life. She didn't want Erica to feel like she owed her for something; it would make things difficult if they ever came to blows again.

Of course, then there was Derek, who still managed to irritated the hell of Maddie. He continued to question Scott's allegiance and repeat the same sentiment Isaac had earlier that night. "They'll come after you too. A slayer's just another monster to them."

Like she didn't know that already.

The one thing they seemed to agree on was the endgame for the kanima. It would have to die. Whether it was Derek or Maddie that had to do it, it would have to be done before it killed again.

She sighed and sat down on a headstone while she fiddled with the wooden stake in her hands. For a fleeting moment, wondered if this is what Buffy used to go through. Before all the slayers were awoken and before the first's army, did she just use patrolling as a way to get away from things? From people? Did she ever feel so unbelivably stressed out? So _alone_?

That was a stupid question. She _had_ to have. She lived on a freaking _hellmouth_ and there was only one chosen back then. For most of that, she probably didn't even have a cellphone. That'd be utterly terrifying.

She watched as her phone screen flicked back to life in her hand. Something had been troubling her about Dawn's texts the other night. The last one she received (while she was running away from a homicidal lizard, no less) said '_be careful_'. It wasn't that Dawn wouldn't say that; Dawn's always been nice and cared about each girl that was trained under the tutelage of her sister. What was strange was that she had already texted that earlier that night. _Maybe she was just tired. _Yeah, that had to be it.

It was nice to know someone cared though.

Suddenly, she heard the sound of a car pulling up and the lights starting to illuminate her back, casting a long shadow ahead of her. She whipped around and squinted in the light before they were shut off. Once her eyesight adjusted again, her shoulders slumped down. On the other side of the fence, she saw the familiar blue jeep running once again. She wanted to be irritated with the boy behind the windshield that waved and half-smiled at her, but she felt the corner of her lips twitch upward as she stood and walked over. Attempting to look at least a little intimidating, she folded her arms and raised a single eyebrow. He waved her over and she rolled her eyes but jumped the fence and headed to the passenger side door anyway. Once again, she hated feeling so agreeable.

Especially when it came to this idiot.

She opened the door. "What do you want?"

He opened his mouth but clamped it shut again shortly after and grinned at her, shrugging. "I, ah…_obviously_, I was making sure that you…" He paused again. "…Do you need a ride home?"

_Yes, home. To San Francisco. To my stupid room that I shared with five other girls. Please and thank you._

She shook her head. "I can walk. That's kinda how I got here."

It almost looked like he was going to argue that answer. His eyebrows furrow as he looked at her and he sighed. "Sure, yeah. Makes sense." His eyes had immediately shifted downward to the car floor and he turned the lights back on as the engine continued to sputter on. "I'll just…"

There it was. Guilt. She swore this was the same look Xander had had every time he failed at cheering her up. Years of crappy jokes and sort-of-okay advice that never even cracked a smile on her face. _I'm doing that thing again, aren't I?_ Her head echoed, remembering a time that felt like years ago when it was only months. _It's okay, Mads._ He always said that. And it never was.

She frowned and rolled her eyes before hopping into the passenger seat. Stiles' head shot up and he sent her a curious stare. She responded with a guarded, undaunted look as she closed the door. "Well? Are you driving me back to the Argents' or what?"

His already light brown eyes brightened and a slow grin returned to his lips before he put the car in reverse and began driving out of the parking lot. There was a short silence between them that seemed almost expected by now. As always, Maddie found herself staring out the window and Stiles fiddled with the radio. This time though, the slayer had the strange urge to fill the silence. Maybe it was curiosity. Maybe it was pity. "How did you know where I was?"

"You said you patrolled in cemeteries and this is the furthest one from the Argents, so…" Stiles began, glancing over at her briefly to see her send him another unimpressed look. "...And I texted Allison."

She rolled her eyes again. She felt like she did that a whole lot around Stiles. "Why do you always show up to give me a ride home?"

"Because you always _need_ a ride home," came his quick retort. "You and Scott do the superpower thing? Well, this is my super power. I'm Jeep Man."

She involuntarily snorted a laugh and regretted it in the same instance. "...Jeep Man?"

"Yeah, Jeep Man. Even though my superpower's trashed most of the time." His small grin widened slightly. She regretted the noise she made even more. "...wait, did I just make Madeline Hayes, super calm and collected vampire slayer laugh?"

She frowned again, her eyes narrowing. "No. Shut up." She cleared her throat and looked down at her nails as she picked at them. _It can't hurt to be friendly just this once, right_? came an unfamiliar voice in the back of her head. She wanted to ignore it but a mild bit of guilt flared in her stomach. The next question that left her mouth she had to will herself to say out loud. "So...what kind of powers does _Jeep Man_ have?"

There was a pause, as if he didn't believe what he was hearing. "Uh…driving, mostly. But the high beams are the real super power. I can use them to see things other people can't."

"Sounds useful." _You think you're so clever._

"Psht, yeah! Don't know how I'd survive without 'em."

"I guess that would _explain_ the cleverness..." she muttered, immediately regretting it. _God damn it._

"It comes in handy when I need to blind the bad guys, too." He stopped at a red light and she knew that stupid smile wouldn't leave his face after that one. "And I'm _in no way_ overlooking the fact that not only did I make you laugh, you just complimented me."

She refused to look over at him this time. "What? I did not! I said _cleverness_ because smartass-ness isn't a word."

"Still a compliment. _Clever _is a compliment, Mads."

Her fist clenched tighter for a moment but she didn't yell at him or hit him this time. "Fine. It was a compliment. You're clever. Moving on."

"You know, it's not bad to compliment people. It denotes two people getting along. As in you and me. We're _getting along_." He put a heavy emphasis on the last two words, making it sound like it was a god damn miracle. It probably was, in his defense.

Her stare fell to the road and then to the dashboard. She could see him glancing over at her ever so often and she definitely wasn't about to meet his eyes right now. She knew she'd regret it. Still, regardless of everything inside of her telling her differently, he was right. "I...suppose we are."

This time, the silence wasn't so comfortable. She almost wanted him to say something stupid or ask her about random slayer things. Even talk about the kanima. Something. _Anything._ And, like he had read her mind, she heard him speak again. "Is this like an alternate universe where people named Stiles can actually, you know, tell _jokes_ to and get complimented by people named Maddie without getting punched? Because I personally would like to stay in this universe. Better for my health."

_Maybe it is_, she thought, feeling rather amused by the idea. The corners of her mouth twitched again and, for only a moment, allowed her lips to stretch into a small smile. "Yeah. This universe is good."

"So why the change? I mean, are you sick? Dying?" He was gesturing more animatedly now and she wondered how he could do that without crashing. "Did your life pass before your eyes?"

The smile disappeared and was replaced with an indignant frown and she fought the urge to swat her hand at him. "No! Gods, Stiles! I didn't think I was _that_ bad…"

"I'm sorry! It's not like it's _bad_. Well, not really." Stiles shrugged as he turned onto the same block as Allison's house. Just after he parked, once again, she could feel his eyes on her. "You're just..._you_. Madeline. Tough as nails slayer extraordinaire. Certified badass. That comes with a certain level of _mean_."

In any other situation in her whole life, she would've taken that as a compliment. Hell, a few days before, she was trying to stab a lizard monster in the face with a crossbow bolt. Now…it felt wrong. _Buffy_ was tough and _Marie_ was tough; Maddie couldn't imagine them as anything else. When she thought of herself though, she thought of something breakable - _fragile_ \- that looks kind of hard on the outside. No way. Not her. She wasn't tough. "You say it like it's natural. I wasn't _born_ a certified badass. _Or _a slayer. It just kind of...happened. I _have_ to be that."

"No one said you have to be that."

Anger flared in her chest and she finally turned to look at him. "Someone has to! It's just the way things are - but I'm not _just _that." She shrank down a bit when his eyes traveled back to her for more than a brief, sad glance. He needed to stop that. "I'm just...me. Maddie. Human teenage girl."

He finally looked forward again slumping his shoulders. "Well, I can't help it! It's the just the whole supernatural thing sometimes makes me forget you're, you know..."

"Human?"

"...A teenage girl." He sounded almost sheepish.

Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "How very _male_ of you."

"Yeah, that sounded pretty bad, didn't it?" He looked down and then back to Maddie. "Sorry."

"So, do you?" Her voice sounded almost anxious - at least to her - and it made her furious with herself. It felt as if her brain had shut down completely and her mouth just kept spouting out words, like fountain that wouldn't shut off because the handle was broken. Maybe that was it. Maybe her mind was just broken.

"Huh? Do I what?"

"Really forget I'm a girl."

Stiles' eyes grew wide and he opened and shut his mouth several times, closely resembling a fish on dry land. "D'ya...um. No. I mean, yeah but- _No_, definitely don't forget you're a girl." Her eyebrows raised at the statement and he continued to stumble over his words. "That is to say obviously you're a girl but that doesn't matter- o-or it does. Clearly, it does…in, uh, the 'girl power' way…. I mean, uh…What's the right answer?"

She swatted at him again. Why was he _so_ nervous? "Stiles!"

He started gesturing with his hands a lot again. "It's just, I mean, I've seen you decapitate vampires. _VAMPIRES_. You beat up alpha werewolves. And you keep saving our asses on a daily basis."

"So, what are teenage girls normally like then?" Again, she found herself annoyed at her lack of thought in her responses, but more-so annoyed by _his_ responses.

"I don't know! _Girly_, I guess. With trendy clothes. And giggling. And perfect hair."

"Like Lydia." _Where in the hell did that come from?_ She turned back to the window and looked at the house before her, knowing her cheeks had become a little warmer. There was no way she'd let him see her this embarrassed. There was no _reason_ to be.

"Like Lydia!" It was an automatic response and he probably looked horrified when he it spilled out. Still, it felt like someone dropped a weight in her stomach. Lydia was amazing, pretty, and smart without superpowers. She didn't need them. Maddie did. "Wait. No. Definitely not what I meant. Yeah, okay, Lydia's feminine, super smart, resourceful..."

"I get it, Stiles," she cut him off, still focusing on the dark windows of the house.

"...But I don't think you do." She felt her eyebrows furrow and she fought the urge to look back at him. "Look, you're a hero. Like a legit comic book type super hero. Trendy clothes and giggling and perfect hair isn't you - because you're freaking _Wonder Woman_. ...And you don't even know who that is do you?"

She turned back only slightly. Of course she knew; she grew up around Xander Harris. There was no escape from the comic book references. "I know the name. Sort of."

"Okay, what I'm saying is Diana Prince _aka_ Wonder Woman didn't _need_ to be girly. I mean she could be, she _has_ been...but she's more than that." The look on his face was unreadable as his eyes darted from the windshield to her face several times. "She's brave and selfless and all about honesty. That's why people like her." He shrugged animatedly. "Okay, so you overshare. You don't get the whole social interaction thing. You don't really trust anyone like _ever_. And you're kind of violent when you can't win an argument..."

She held up a hand a signal to stop, trying her best to muster up an annoyed glare. "Not helping."

"But who cares? You save people. It's what you do – and you're freaking _good_ at it."

She swallowed but her throat felt dry. Maybe she was tired. Maybe she missed having her best friend to talk to. Or maybe, just maybe it was something else entirely. She shook the thought out but went on. "...What if I want to do more? _Be_ more?"

He grinned again, meeting her eyes. It wasn't a piece of armor like Marie had used it as. It wasn't something that he seemed to give many people at all, but, around the right people all he could do was grin. People like Scott and Lydia. "No one's stopping you. It's not like Gerard's watching you twenty-four-seven. You're free to do anything. As long as it doesn't involve beating up scrawny, human guys."

A smile tugged at her lips and she let it. "Only if they deserve it."

His smile fell and he looked like a child that had just been told that the bogeyman was real. "That...that's not comforting."

And the most amazing thing happened – she laughed. It was a genuine laugh too, loud and complete with a toothy smile. "It was a joke!"

He stopped for a few seconds to study her – like he thought she didn't know how to laugh – and blinked a few times before he shook his head. "Not funny, Mads." Which contradicted the fact that he was smiling slightly.

Her fist didn't clench this time. "Not to you. Isn't that what friends do? Joke around?" Something about the statement felt wrong, like she was going in with information she didn't have. She cleared her throat. "Or, I guess...sort of friends."

"Hey, we're friends!" He nudged her with his elbow lightly. "You and me - we're best buds! BFF's even."

She was sure she cringed through the entire statement. "Could you please not say that? Besides, isn't Scott your _BFF_?"

"Duh, yes. Obviously. And you're my girl- _female _friend." He looked almost horrified and began speaking much quicker than before. "Girl BFF. There's no limits on BFFs, I'll have you know."

The look she gave him a flat stare, regardless of her faint curiosity toward his minor slip up. "I didn't know we were so close."

His smile was so big and bright, it was almost infectious. Maybe more than almost. "Are you kidding me? Surrounded by vampires, running from a crazy alpha werewolf, fighting off homicidal lizard monsters? These are things two people _cannot_ go through without becoming the best of friends."

He was over-embellishing clearly. They may not have been best friends – and they definitely weren't – but were at least friends. It was, of course, with the last person she'd thought she'd want to stick that label on but, in a way, seemed fitting. Of course, it had to be Stiles. Who else could it have been?

She glanced at her phone quickly and her smile disappeared. "I gotta go. It's almost one." Before he could protest – and he looked like he was about to – she had already opened the door.

"Right! Yeah." He nodded, his head bouncing slightly like it was on a spring. When he smiled this time, it was softer and he watched her for a moment. "Night, Mads."

Maddie gave a small nod of her own and seemed to mimic his expression. Maybe '_Mads'_ didn't sound so bad if only one other person was saying it. "...Night, Stiles."

* * *

He let himself watch her go into the house and leaned back in his seat. For the first time ever, he didn't talk to the slayer. He talked to Maddie – and she smiled. She laughed without it involving him in pain. He was even sure he made her blush.

And she was beautiful. No, that didn't sound right. It wasn't the right word. It had to be something more elaborate. Kinder but with a sharp edge. Darker and softer. Something that matched her.

It was then that he sat straight up, eyes wide in horror at his own thoughts – at all the things he told her. He could feel it all in the pit of his stomach all the way through every nerve ending and all the way back to his chest cavity – and it hurt and felt warm at the same time. He wasn't an idiot; he knew this feeling too well already.

"Ah, crap."

That was when he knew for sure.

He was a goner.


	29. Chapter Twenty Eight: Advice

**A/N: Alrighty! Act Two literally has taken forever (excuse my use of the word 'literally'). Filler is always tough to get through! Alas, it's super important. But we're reaching Act Three very soon! Stay tuned! ****Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty Eight: Advice**

* * *

Much like the last several weeks - or months if she thought about it - Madeline found herself waking up in a cold sweat, gasping for air. The dreams were beginning to feel real. It was as if she could smell the severed corpses of a field of dead wolves or even hear Lydia's scream. She could almost feel the hand wrapping around her throat. The entire thing was dizzying. Maddie breathed slowly and put her head in her hand for a moment before willing herself out of bed. That was when something strange happened.

When she stood she actually _did _feel dizzy. She felt the world tilt slightly and she stumbled, gripping her forehead. Maybe she got up too quickly. Yeah, that had to be it. In seconds, the dizziness left again and she shook her head violently to rid the last of it.

The rest of her time before school went in a blur, with only a few speed bumps. For instance, the amount of time she spent outside the close bathroom door needing to pee while listening to the hair dryer blasting. This wasn't anything new but an irritated sigh still passed from her lips. Things, in theory, seemed patched between her and Allison but she still felt that something was off. Especially the night they had trained together for the first time.

_"Stop holding back so much!" _

_"Are you crazy?"_

_"No, but I'm not made of glass either. I need you to take this seriously."_

_"You mean you need me to take _you_ seriously."_

She wasn't quite the ideal sparring partner yet - and, in reality, Maddie felt more like a trainer than a trainee. In a way she felt as if that was the reason Allison's father allowed that farce to continue, even when Allison was floored the first time.

There was a tension still between the girls and it felt as though nothing had been resolved, regardless of Allison's attempts at amiable conversation afterwards. Everything about Maddie's response was false - the smile, the nod, the short answers - and the older girl wasn't so stupid to not figure that out. It made next few days to and from school increasingly awkward. Neither seemed to want to talk about it and settled for turning up the radio instead.

Now, she found herself walking down the halls of the school alone after Allison quickly told her that she had to hand something in. She refrained from rolling her eyes and nodded, watching the girl walk off.

It didn't matter all that much; Maddie felt the need to get away from _all_ Argents most of the time anyway. All of them, even Allison, seemed to think of her more as a threat than an ally - not that she'd even consider herself allies with the likes of Gerard Argent. He had a habit of simultaneously treating her like a rabid animal and a prized pet. It was astonishing. Victoria still managed to scare the bejeezus out of her with a look - like Maddie was going to be stabbed in her sleep.

Honestly, the only person that treated her halfway human was Chris. Sure, he was a harsh trainer but no worse than Faith, one of the older slayers, on a good day. He at least talked to her like she was still a teenager. She had a _curfew_ now. She did _chores_ \- ordinary household stuff, too. Once, she argued with him like she would with Xander and he gave her the clichéd "you live in my house, you live by my rules" lecture. It almost felt like something normal.

SLAM. She had been so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't realize that she was on a head-on-collision until the other person's books and papers went flying everywhere. It took her another second to realize the form of a petite girl with shoulder length, slightly mussed blonde hair was flat on the ground as well. Her bright blue eyes peered up at Maddie in surprise. She gaped for a second - probably because Maddie was still standing - and laughed nervously. "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!"

"It's fine," was Maddie's automatic response but it came with a sigh. The brunette knelt down and started collecting pieces of loose-leaf that were scattered around them.

As she handed them back, the blonde girl smiled apologetically. "No, really. I was totally spacing and wasn't looking were I was going and-"

Maddie put up her hand and it seemed to silence the girl and used her other hand to give her the papers. "I said it's fine."

The girl's eyes were even wider than before and she nodded only slightly as she took the handful of paper. "O- okay. Yeah. It's fine. Completely fine. I mean, I'm fine! And you're obviously- um, a brick wall." She stood up quickly, hugging her books and papers to her chest and looking like a frightened mouse. "I mean that in a good way! You know, since you didn't fall over."

Blonde and friendly - why were they always blonde and friendly? She was beginning to think the universe was conspiring against her. Maddie raised an eyebrow at the girl. "Right. Well, if you're okay then..."

The girl looked horror struck again. "Oh my god. I didn't make you late for class, did I?!"

Maddie blinked slowly. "...The bell hasn't rung yet." Once the blonde's shoulders slumped down in what could only be interpreted as relief, the slayer's eyebrows knit together curiously. "You're not from here, are you?"

"First day," the girl groaned. "Any advice for the new girl?"

Maddie didn't answer immediately; it might've caused the conversation to continue. Instead, she gripped the strap of her leather messenger bag and walked past the girl. "Get out while you still can."

She almost felt bad about how she treated a total stranger but in a town like Beacon Hills, it was probably best to stay far away from people like Maddie. It had done nothing good for anyone else.

It took only another few minutes to find herself in front of her locker, knowing that - thanks to her little encounter - she only had limited time to gather her Econ and Chem books. Spinning the lock free like a pro, she opened the old metal door and some almost instantly fell out and flop on the floor. _Ugh, more papers, _she thought as she looked down.

It wasn't papers though; it was a book. A thin book with a glossy cover lay on the ground and she didn't recognize it in the slightest. She bent down and carefully picked it up, examining the laminated illustration on the front more closely. On the ground were a group of men, two of which she could easily identify - batman and superman. The rest must have been other super heroes who didn't have a million movies each. The men on the ground were what really caught Maddie's attention. In front of them, like a human shield, stood a woman with long, black hair, dressed in a star-spangled strapless leotard and knee high red boots. On her hip, a glow gold rope dangled. Her arms were up in front of her - in defense - as a gust of fire from the mouth of a dragon bounce right off of the woman's silver cuffs.

At the very top, in giant, golden letters, were the words, **_League of One_**.

She chewed on her bottom lip in thought as her head shot up and she looked around, left and right. She even examined the ventilation holes in the locker door by trying to stick it through. It_ fit_. Maddie's eyes went back to the graphic novel and she even caught herself grinning. She shook her head slowly and delicately placed the book back in her locker while pulling out the textbooks she needed.

She was never a big fan of fiction - mostly because she lived in a world that everyone around her thought really was fictional. That was enough. She'd never been compared to a fictional character before though. Maybe, just maybe, she'd find something in common a person who went by the completely ridiculous title of 'Wonder Woman'.

Who knows - maybe reading would even help her sleep at night.

She quietly shut her locker when her thoughts were again interrupted - this time by voices right behind her.

"Jackson's not the kanima," a silky, feminine voice said.

Maddie's jaw clenched for only a second. "Are you sure? Snake's a pretty apt description of him."

The slayer turned around, only to be met with the defiant stares of Erica and Isaac. The boy spoke next. "Working our way down list, the next suspect is Lydia Martin."

Without hesitation, Maddie shook her head. "It's not her." She said it so flatly, as if it wasn't even a question. _Of course_ it was a question. Lydia had been having weird occurrences happening all around her and she hadn't exactly been _acting_ normal either. She was _immune_ to the bite. It was only logical. Still, the slayer stayed resolute. "And if you lay a hand on her, I'll kick both of your asses."

"C'mon, Maddie. You're not that stupid." Erica glared at her. "You _know_ there's a good chance that it's her."

Maddie shook her head. "I don't actually. So until I have clear, irrefutable proof that she's the kanima, you don't touch her. And if she is..." Her voice trailed off for a moment and her thoughts flashed to a dark, gruesome memory. Blood. Rain. Vacant, blue eyes. She shook the thought out with all of her willpower, but it still lingered. "...If she is, I'll handle it. Not Derek._ Me_."

Isaac shrugged and glanced from Erica to Maddie. "Why do you think we're giving you a heads up?"

Maddie stood silent for a long while, her brows furrowing as she looked from Isaac to Erica. The blonde didn't have her usual self-satisfied grin. In fact, her lips were a thin line and her eyes were softer than they had been in weeks. "You and I? We're even."

The slayer's mouth hung open slightly as she watched the two walk away. Once they were out of sight, she took a breath. For a second, it felt as though something in her had cracked. Like something soft was seeping into her thoughts through her hard exterior.

It was only for a second though, as thoughts of what they might have in store for Lydia came forefront. If nothing else, if _no one _else, she had to protect Lydia.

Even if it was only until Maddie had to make another terrible choice.

* * *

Later that day, Maddie strode into Economics lazily, convinced that if she maybe walked slowly enough that the day would not come to a head with another fight on the horizon. Her eyes scanned the classroom quickly until they caught the familiar sight of Scott and Stiles, looking rather apprehensive while Jackson sat behind Scott, whispering something. As she passed the naturally wide-eyes and crazy-haired teacher, she vaguely heard him get her name wrong again and proceeded to the empty desk next to Jackson and behind Stiles. When Coach spoke though, Stiles' attention shifted almost instantly, spotting Maddie. He gave a nod and a slight wave, which she mimicked in return before dropping her books on the desk and sitting down.

Scott managed to silently greet her as well, while Jackson looked at her with a mixture of annoyance and possibly fear. Maddie rolled her eyes and looked down at her shoddy, scribbled notes. She couldn't even think of taking a stupid midterm right now. There was a monster on the loose and a psychopath running the school. How could she be expected to pass a test? Coach Finstock continued on speaking and Maddie's attention flickered over to Lydia, who sat only a few seats down.

"...paralyzed from the neck down. Do you have any idea what that feels like?" Jackson whispered. The slayer's stare went back to the boys, little sympathy in it.

"I'm familiar with the sensation," Stiles replied, his voice grim as he glared at Jackson.

Scott looked the most concerned though, as he shot Jackson a panicked glance. " Wait - why would Derek test you? Why would he think that it's you?"

"Why _wouldn't_ he?" Maddie quietly added, earning three different looks - a glare from Jackson, an eye roll from Scott, and small grin from Stiles. She eyed Scott, her expression flat and a bit scrutinizing. "Come on. He survived the bite and isn't a wolf. It's a little suspicious."

"Hey! Sitting right here." Jackson narrowed his gaze on her.

She quirked an eyebrow. "Uh, yeah. I'm aware."

Jackson stayed silent in replied, his stare darkening. All the while, Stiles' eyes widened as he looked between Scott and Maddie before landing on the popular boy in between. "Wait, do they think it's Lydia?"

"I don't know," Jackson said. "All I heard was her name and something about chemistry."

Maddie's eyes shot downward and her mouth pursed. She could feel three stares on her and awaited one of them to speak before Coach shouted to the back of the room, "Jackson! Do you have something you want to share with the rest of the class?"

"Um - just an undying admiration for my - my coach."

"That's really kind of you. Now shut up! Shut it! Anybody else?"

At least half a minute passed before the churning in Maddie's stomach got to her. "Erica and Isaac warned me this morning."

"Wait, _warned_ you?" Stiles asked.

Maddie shrugged, just as confused as Stiles and Scott looked. "They owed me one, I guess. Or maybe they'd rather have me handle it than..." The stare she was getting from Stiles dropped into something much less shocked and much more disappointed. Scott, on the other hand, gave her a look that seemed sad but altogether...understanding. "If it has to be someone, it's better than Derek doing it." Her voice didn't match the sentiment, though.

"_How_ is that better?" came Stiles' almost bitter response. Maybe even accusatory.

Her eyes shot up to his, feeling angrier than she'd been in weeks. No, wait...not angry. _Hurt_. Her head slowly shook as her mouth became a thin line. "Don't."

That was when Scott asked the question no one wanted to think about. "...How do we know it's not her?"

Stiles glanced back over at Scott, seeming mildly flustered. "Because I looked into the eyes of that thing, okay? And what I saw was pure evil. And when I look into Lydia's eyes, I only see 50% evil." He paused and was about to go back to his notes when he threw Scott another look. "All right, maybe 60. You know, but no more than 40 on a good day."

Maddie found herself rolling her eyes and leaning back in her chair. There was nothing she could possibly say that wouldn't sound annoyed or resentful - and a classroom was not an optional place for an argument.

"Stiles, that's not a very good argument," Scott said. She was increasingly grateful to Scott for being much calmer than her.

Stiles' head was down slightly from what she could tell. "I'm aware of that, but I swear it's not her. It can't be, all right? Lydia's fine."

_Oh yeah, sure. Fine._ Maddie's eyes went back over to Lydia's seat that she was no longer in, then up to the front of the classroom. There Lydia stood, back to the class and writing. Not just any writing - and certainly not anything for Econ - but something specific and indecipherable. Over and over again, she kept writing and there was something else coming from her. The slayer leaned forward and tucked her dark strands behind her ear as she listened closely.

It was...sobs. Quiet, terrified sobs. She turned around slowly, her eyes closed but still crying.

Coach looked rather confused as he looked from the board to the girl. "Lydia? Lydia! Lydia..."

Her eyes snapped open and darted around the room, as if she wasn't sure where she was in the slightest.

Coach Finstock turned to the class, an unsure look on his overly-expressive face. "Okay then, anybody else want to try answering? This time in..._English_?"

The class laughed as Lydia stood frozen at the front of the room, gradually seeming more and more perturbed. She suddenly whipped around to look at the board.

"What is that? Greek?" Scott asked the boy next to him.

"No, actually, I think it is English." Stiles leaned closer to Scott, showing him the screen of his phone. Maddie leaned forward, struggling to look over their shoulders. Stiles tapped the screen, which showed a photo of the chalkboard and the image flipped around, mirroring itself. The slayer gaped slightly at the words on the screen.

_Someone help me._

* * *

The bell rung and Maddie trailed Scott and Stiles out of the classroom, knowing where they were headed next. Chemistry. With Isaac and Erica. Of course. Once they reached the halls of the school, she walked at their pace, on the other side of Stiles.

"Of _course_ I'd never hurt Lydia," she repeated for what felt like the hundredth time. "But if she's killing people..."

"...then we stop her." Scott took a deep breath.

"_Without_ killing her," Stiles added with confidence but after a pause, he turned to his best friend. "Right?"

Scott stayed quiet as he kept his eyes directed ahead. Even Maddie knew that he'd never have the heart to do it though. It wasn't in him. Still, he _had_ to know the consequences of that.

Stiles added weakly, "I mean...C'mon, guys! It's Lydia."

"Exactly," Maddie replied, the knot in her stomach building. She glanced at Stiles, whose attention she'd caught. "And that's why you're not seeing this for what it is." Stiles' had looked away and kept walking and, for some reason, Maddie was urged to continue. To _make him_ understand. "If it turns out that Lydia's the kanima and she's been killing _innocent_ people..." The rest of her sentence got caught in her throat and she sighed. The words that were pouring out didn't feel like hers. "There might not be another option."

Stiles shook his head fervently. "There has to be."

"Then please find it," said Maddie, her eyes to the linoleum tiles of the floor.

"Guys," Scott spoke up, "We can do this. There's always another way." As Maddie glanced his way, she saw him try at a sympathetic smile. "And we're going to find it. _All_ of us."

"And what do you suppose we do until then?" she asked, her voice with much less resolve.

Scott shrugged, looking ahead. "Keep Derek and his pack away from her."

They were only a few steps from the entrance of the classroom before they noted someone by the door. A short young woman with long, black hair stood there with a manila folder. She didn't appear to be a student, as she was dressed in a simple black and gray dress with a matching black blazer. As they entered, she cleared her throat. "Madeline Hayes?"

Maddie stopped in her track and turned to the woman. "Yeah?"

"I'm Miss Morrell, the guidance counselor." She smiled politely at the slayer who didn't return to the gesture. She pointed down the hall. "If you could follow me."

Maddie looked in the classroom, giving Scott and Stiles a wide-eyed, helpless stare and then spotting Lydia. Then Isaac. Then Erica. She turned back to Miss Morrell. "But...Chemistry."

"Don't worry. You've already been excused from class," the guidance counselor continued in a kind voice.

The slayer froze for a second and nodded slightly, unaware of what to say. What could she possibly say to convince the woman to keep her in class? And why was this happening today, of all days? She looked back at the boys and shrugged helplessly before leaving the room and following the older woman.

* * *

This could _not_ have been more awkward.

"So, you've been adjusting well."

She wasn't the sharing type when she had the freedom to be honest. She was even worse when she had to lie.

"Yeah. Definitely. Absolutely."

The very idea of a school appointed person to act like your _therapist_ sounded terrible.

"I do see here that you were in a fight a few weeks ago."

Maddie was always a private person to begin with. There were millions of things she'd rather do than 'open up' - for instance, getting stabbed again.

"It was nothing. I mean, I was _defending_ someone..."

Yes, getting stabbed right through the torso would certainly be preferable.

"And you were adopted."

"Huh?" was the first sound that left her mouth at the statement. She cleared her throat. "Yeah. Yeah, I am. _Was_. I was. And still am."

She raised an eyebrow. "And your mother's name is...Buffy Summers?"

Maddie nodded more animatedly than she anticipated, ignoring the odd way the woman said the name.

"I assume 'Hayes' is your original last name?"

"Uh-huh. Yeah."

"Was that your choice?"

"It was."

"Are you two close?"

_No_. "Yeah. Super close. Way close"

She went on for a while about that one before switching subjects again. "And you were home schooled before?"

"Yep. Home school. School at...you know, home."

Miss Morrell eyed her strangely. "Right. And everything's going well? I do know that many home schooled kids have a rough time fitting in when-"

"I have friends," Maddie blurted out, her words racing out. "Lots of them. Fitting in great. Can I go now?"

The woman sighed. "I understand you don't want to be here but it's my job to make sure that you're doing alright."

"And I'm doing fine," was Maddie's short, annoyed answer. "Really. I'm making friends and doing my homework. Everything's great. Now can I please leave?"

Above her head, the sound of the bell blared. Maddie groaned. The soft brown eyes of the woman across from her seemed almost disappointed but she still gestured to the door. The teenager stood again and meandered to the door before Miss Morrell spoke again. "And Madeline? A word of advice."

Maddie stopped in the doorway and turned to the woman. "Yeah?"

The woman gave her a knowing look, like she could see right through the girl. "Try to stay out of trouble from now on."

Maddie hesitated, giving the woman a curious stare before nodding and leaving the room. The words stayed with her as she traveled down the hallway in the direction of her next class - when, suddenly, she saw a the rushing forms of Scott, Stiles, and Allison coming towards her. They're faces all looked equally worried and they didn't slow when they saw her. Her eyebrows furrowed curiously. "Hey, what's going-"

Just as they were about to pass her, Stiles grabbed her arm and started pulling her along with them. He looked down at her as she turned fully around, panic clear and prominent in his light brown irises. "We might have a problem."


	30. Chapter Twenty Nine: The Pack

**A/N: The second to last chapter before we hit ACT 3~! Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty Nine: The Pack**

* * *

He hummed.

It was a low, hypnotic tune that hung in the air and echoed from the bare, windowless walls for hours upon hours. Bodies would pass the threshold, but, upon hearing this, moved on quickly. Some even stumbled over themselves as they attempted to scramble away. They knew better than to disturb him.

A thick, dirt-encrusted finger drew in the thick layer of dirt atop the floorboards. It had been a solid day and night since he had returned from his journey to the faceless deity he and his children called 'the mother'. He had beckoned her for guidance. He had sought her out for the answer to a most dangerous question: was there really a Slayer, a murderer of their kind, mere miles away from their home, in the _Beacon_?

The moment he had returned, he had been muttering to himself so quickly and so softly that no one could catch a word of it. His dark hair became a curtain over his round face and he paced for the first several hours. Sometimes, he would begin shouting as his followers cowered away from him.

Now, his unsteady, plump finger glided through the dirt and his eyes widened so large that his bright blue irises seemed to shine in the dark. He knew. He knew what he was being shown

The hummed broke in his throat, gurgling out into soft laughter. A grin stretched across his face, showing yellowed teeth. His laugher only became louder as it bounced off of the walls and tumbled through the halls, mimmicking his glee.

A small, thin boy with a mangled face poked his head through the open doorway and the interruption was caught in the very next second. The large mass of a man stood, his tattooed arms and black slacks caked with dirt. "Brother Mathias, bring to me...Sister Lilith." The boy had already sprinted away as he muttered out, "...it seems that we've _finally_ been shown the way."

* * *

Once they finally stopped came to an abrupt halt, Maddie found herself in a dark office, surrounded by Scott, Stiles, and Allison who all looked panicked and jittery. The slayer's eyes scanned the three faced in front of her, her own concern spiking. "What? What's going on?"

There was a prolonged silence that passed between all four of them. Allison was keeping her vision focused on the desk to her right while Stiles looked as if he had the words on the tip of his tongue but couldn't seem to saying even one. Scott was the one who finally looked over at Maddie and muttered, "She passed Derek's test."

Maddie's jaw clenched and she exhaled a deep breath. That was when Stiles finally managed to speak again. "But we don't even know if the test proved anything, okay?"

"Right," Allison agreed, although her voice wavered. "It's just a theory he came up with. It doesn't mean anything."

"I know, okay?" She narrowed her gaze on Scott, then on Stiles. "I know. God, it wasn't like I was just going to go with Derek's word on it..."

"Look, we don't have time to argue." Scott looked from Maddie to Allison. "Derek's waiting for Lydia outside."

"Waiting to kill her?" Allison asked.

Scott nodded and slumped his shoulders. "If he thinks she's the kanima, then yes. Especially after what happened at the pool."

The youngest Argent released a long, apprehensive breath. Stiles wore the same expression as before - still stubborn and resolute. "It's not her."

This time, Scott seemed to be the one that needed convincing. "Stiles, she didn't pass the test, man. Nothing happened."

Stiles shook his head and he muttered, "...it can't be her."

Maddie frowned deeply at Stiles' withdrawn form and directed her attention back to Scott. "It was a made up test, okay? So, unless we see her transform into a giant snake-lizard-thing, it's not proof."

"It doesn't matter, because Derek thinks it's her," Allison interjected. She glanced over at Maddie and back to Scott. "So either we can convince him that he's wrong, or we've got to figure out a way to protect her."

Scott shook his head. "Well, I really don't think he's gonna do anything here, not at school."

"What about after school?" Allison's tone was becoming panicked again and she sighed. "What if we can prove that Derek's wrong?"

"What, by three o'clock?" Stiles asked.

"...there could be something in the bestiary," Allison, although her voice made it sound as if she was simply grasping at straws.

Stiles gave her a deadpan expression. "Oh, you mean the 900 - page book written in archaic Latin that none of us can read? Good luck with that."

Allison's eyes glazed over for a moment before her stare met Scott's again. "Actually, I think I know someone who might be able to translate it."

Scott paused for a moment before speaking up again. "Uh, I can talk to Derek, maybe convince him to give us a chance to prove that it's not her." His eyes softened a bit suddenly as he continued to look at Allison. "But if anything happens, you guys let me handle it, okay?"

"You mean _us_," Maddie corrected. Scott's eyes shot over to her and she raised an eyebrow, pointing to herself. "Um, hello? Slayer over here. You're not the only supernatural creature in the room."

Scott opened his mouth like he was about to argue but then closed it again and nodded. "Uh, right. Yeah. Us. Maddie and I will handle it."

Allison gave them both an incredulous stare. "What does that mean?"

"That you can't heal like we do," was Scott's point-blank reasoning. There in Allison's eyes, was a familiar hurt. Maddie looked away as Scott continued. "I just don't want you to get hurt."

Allison rolled her eyes and stood, pulling something out of her bag. Out came a black, compact crossbow, its bowed sides springing to full size. She raised the weapon, giving Maddie a side glance before looking straight at Scott. "I can protect myself."

Maddie folded her arms and withheld a sigh. She knew there was nothing she could possibly say that could make the situation better. If anything, by speaking, she would just make Allison angry with her - something that she didn't have the capacity to deal with at the moment.

All the while, Scott looked progressively more and more worried. This must've gotten to Allison, who put her weapon down. "What? Did something else happen?"

"I just don't want you getting hurt." Scott's voice had softened as Allison walked closer to him. It wasn't often than Maddie felt at all uncomfortable around the two - mostly she would find it endearing. It wasn't often that she saw someone care so deeply for another person. Something, though, was different; something in her stomach had shifted. Her eyes hit the floor almost instantaneously. In the back of her head, there was an inkling of what it might be, but it was just far enough away and out of focus to be ignored. Maybe, it's was just envy. No, that didn't seem right. "Seriously, if anything goes wrong, you call me, okay? I - I don't care if your dad finds out. Call, text, scream, yell, whatever. I'll hear you and I'll find you as fast as I can. We have until 3:00."

Allison remained silent but gave a nod in return. Scott turned to leave and made it to the door when, suddenly, he spun back around. He caught something that turned out to be a crossbow bolt that had sliced through the air towards him. It was certainly enough to catch everyone's attention as Scott, Allison, and Maddie turned around to find a shocked Stiles holding the crossbow. Allison rolled her eyes and slumped her shoulders, taking the weapon away from the boy.

"Ah...sorry," Stiles began, then pointed at the crossbow. "...sensitve trigger on that."

Maddie released a frustrated sigh as her fist collided with his arm.

Stiles winced and rubbed his arm gently. "Yeah, probably deserved that one."

Allison turned to Maddie as Scott left and, after giving her a disapproving look, spoke again. "Can you two intercept Lydia before she leaves the school? I'll meet you on the way out."

"Yeah, sure." Maddie nodded and grabbed Stiles by his shirt collar, dragging him out of the room. "Come on, before you accidentally kill someone else."

* * *

"...a _study _group?"

That was just about the reaction Madeline thought that Lydia would have. Still, she nodded fervently as Stiles replied. "Yeah! Just for a few hours."

Lydia quirked an eyebrow. "And what's this a study group for?"

The was a hesitant pause from Stiles before he blurted out, "Chemistry, b-because you're so good at it and...y'know, Maddie and Scott...aren't."

Maddie's head snapped in Stiles' direction and she gaped at him for a second. He completely just threw her under the bus and simply expected her to go along with it. Not to mention that including her in his lie only forced her to lie even more - something she was already terrible at. She blinked, coming back to reality and the current situation. Getting Lydia out of there in one piece was far more important. Her head turned back to Lydia and she forced a smile, nodding again. "So, you'll help, right?"

Her scrutinizing green stare narrowed on the two for a moment that seemed to drag on forever, even as Maddie's and Stiles' desperately tried to plead with her. Maddie knew she would practically force the girl out of there regardless - but this way seemed conflict-free and far less suspicious. After another second, Lydia rolled her eyes dramatically. "Fine."

Maddie's shoulders relaxed, although she had been unaware that she was so tense over something so small. After Stiles thanked Lydia, they immediately guided her down the hall to meet with Allison. As they were doing so, out of the corner of the slayer's eye, she caught sight of the blonde girl from earlier that day. The girl seemed to spot her as well and beamed at Maddie, waving. The brunette scowled and continued to push Lydia toward the library while the girl's arm fell to her side.

Lydia looked back at Maddie with a curious stare. "Who was that?"

"No idea," she said without a second thought.

* * *

Daylight was waning as Madeline paced back and forth while Allison held her crossbow at her side and Stiles kept peeking through the curtains. Getting out of the school seemed to be the easy part, but now they were stuck waiting for some sign of the four wolves. Maddie had finally stopped grumbling over the amount of people were in one place at one time after Allison chided her a third time. Still, she didn't like the idea of so many potential victims if the worst did happen. It didn't help that Jackson had more or less volunteered to go with them, probably for his own selfish motives. Still, it was someone to keep Lydia occupied while the rest of them kept watch.

"Has anything else, like anything at all, come through about the kanima on your end?" Allison asked, her concerned gaze meeting Maddie's.

The slayer shook her head. "Like I said before, nothing. There was a half-page that told us the basics we already knew and where to find more info in the Watchers' diaries."

"And?"

She rolled her eyes. "And _nothing_. The volume was burnt to a crisp in a huge explosion, like, a decade ago. The only copy left is being guarded in some alternate dimension by Wolfram and Hart."

Allison quirked an eyebrow. "Wolfram and Hart? The law firm?"

"You've heard of them?"

"Er, yeah. Sort of." Allison caught the curious looks of Maddie and Stiles and looked out the window. "I just, I dunno...found a business card of theirs a while back."

"Where?" Maddie asked.

"...it's not important," she mumbled.

"Awesome. Supernatural lawyers," Stiles deadpanned, "Lemme guess - they're evil."

Maddie scoffed, "Understatement." She sighed and shook her head ferociously. "Not the point. We have no info aside from the whole 'seeks a friend' thing and that doesn't really get Lydia off the hook."

"She's not the kanima," Stiles shot back, only mildly irate this time. Allison stayed silent, almost as if she wasn't even sure of that anymore but with a look that was cast downward in guilt.

Maddie glared at him only for a moment. "Well, she's _something._"

"What if she's _just_ immune?" Allison asked, her arms crossed. "Maybe it's possible that..."

Maddie could hear the words die in her friend's throat. There was a silence that stretched for at least a full minute and, for just a moment of that, the slayer could hear arguing above her head. A few faint sobs muffled through walls accompanied the sound and it felt like a large stone had dropped into her stomach. It was only then that Stiles broke the silence. "If she's more than that, then what?"

Maddie's stare redirected to the boy who was looking back at her and then to the tall brunette at the other window who did the same. Both stares were expectant but solemn, perhaps dreading what she might say. Sure, there were a plethora of common demons she was taught, thing that lurked in the same shadows as the vampires. None of them inherently kind or gentle; none of them any better than a kanima. Some maybe even worse. "I don't know, okay? There's probably a whole list of humanoid things out there that are immune to the bite."

"Like slayers?" Stiles asked.

Maddie's eyes narrowed on him. "No. Not slayers." This seemed to make the boy shrink back a little and his eyes redirect to the window once again. She sighed, pushing forward. "Like...Mok'tagar demons and Gnarol demons and Vengeance Demons..."

"...Could she actually be any of those?" Allison interjected.

Maddie raised an eyebrow at the girl. "I'm not really sure about the other two, but she's definitely not a Vengeance Demon. We'd _know_ by now if she was a Vengeance Demon, believe me."

Allison's eyebrows furrowed. "Wait, but how would we know..."

"Guys," Stiles said, "Now's not the time."

Both sets of eyes darted over to Stiles, who was looking out the window with a wide stare. The girls looked at eachother suddenly and Allison almost didn't notice when Stiles passed her his phone with Scott's number already pulled up. She swallowed and tapped the call button as Maddie rushed over to her bag that was settled in the corner of the room, pulling out the small, silver axe.

"It's me," she heard Allison say, her voice stern but shaking, "You need to get here now...Right now."

Once the call had ended time seemed to move much more rapidly. The sun had nearly finished setting and Maddie found her pacing had sped up as well. It was almost like her first patrol - the first real one, at least. The one when she first held her axe and stood side by side with those who were much better than her in the pouring rain. The one she didn't think she'd come back from.

Allison pulled out her own phone and looked down at it for some time. She was still shaking. Stiles seemed to notice this as well and spoke up. "What're you doing?"

"I think..." she started, looking at Stiles then at Maddie. It was only a short look before it went back to her phone, as if she was ashamed of something. "I think I have to call my dad."

"You can't," said Maddie as she stopped in her tracks, without a moment's hesitation. She stared at the girl in diselief, mind racing with possibilities, of what harm such a move could do - and not even realizing quite how abrasive and accusatory her words had been. It wouldn't just be Allison and Scott who would be found out; the girl's father would place a large part of the blame on the slayer who swore to keep the two apart. Not to mention, if Chris and Victoria found out, so would Gerard - _he_ was the one she was worried about. There was no telling what the consequences would be.

Stiles appeared to be be just as panicked. "If he finds you here, you and Scott-"

"I know," she cut him off with a withdrawn look and a slightly harder one at Maddie. "...I know. But what are we supposed to do? They're not here to scare us. They're here to _kill_ Lydia."

"They won't, okay?" Maddie tried, easing the frustration in her own voice and gripping her weapon tighter. "They'll have to get through the front line first."

"There's four of them." Allison's voice was becoming harsher and her stare became a mixture of helplessness and anger. "There's no way you can fight all of them at once! They will _tear you apart_."

Maddie looked down at her weapon, feeling the sting of anger in her own chest now. Of course she couldn't take on all of them and that terrified her. That wasn't the point though. She sucked in a breath and looked back up at the girl only a few feet away. "Probably, but someone should play the distraction. I can hold off a beta or two - at least until Scott turns up."

"That's not a plan!" Stiles added in, throwing Maddie a horrified stare. "That's not even _sort of_ a plan!"

Maddie rolled her eyes and began pacing again. "Do you have a better idea?"

He glanced out the window again, fidgeting slightly, and then looked down at Allison's crossbow. "Yeah, I think I do." As Allison turned to him, he looked up at her as well. "Shoot one of them!"

Allison's gaze widened in horror. "Are you serious?!"

"We told Scott we could protect ourselves," Stiles replied. "So let's do it. We'll at least give it a shot, right?"

Allison turned back to the window. "...Okay."

"You're both insane," Maddie found herself muttering. They continued whispering back and forth, ignoring the comment. The slayer groaned and took another deep breath, attempting to calm her frayed nerves. It wasn't until a question was posed that she knew that'd be impossible.

"Where's Isaac?"

She felt her adrenaline spike as a hand wrapped around her throat from behind and she was sent flying into the living room. It was a hard fall but not harsh enough to keep her down for more than a second or two. The slayer scrambled to her feet, finding Allison on the floor and the leather clad beta wolf hovering over Stiles and growling. Blood boiling, she grabbed Isaac by the collar of his jacket and yanked him across the room and to the floor. Quickly, Madeline placed herself between the boys and glowered at the wolf she was now facing as she took a defensive stance. She had thrown her axe to the side, knowing she wouldn't need it this time and instead balled her fists. "I warned you not to touch my people."

Isaac jumped to his feet, eyes glowing a bright yellow as he bared his teeth. "I suck at instructions."

As Maddie noted the shadowed form of Allison running up the stairs, she charged forward. Punches and kicks flew in every direction before a backhand hit her cheek so hard, it almost dislocated her jaw. In a flash, she gripped the hand that had struck her with both of her own hands and tossed him into a wall. Ignoring the portraits that had fallen around the boy, she grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and allowed a full force punch to connect with his face. "You suck at fighting, too."

Isaac was breathing heavily and coughing a bit as he laughed at the comment. He _laughed_. There was nothing more infuriating. Although, in that moment of hesitation, he pushed her away with both of his feet. The petite brunette found herself stumbling back and, in less than a second, there was a hand wrapped around her throat again. Isaac was grinning as he pinned her to the wall behind her. "Time's up."

She was horror-struck. The words echoed through her as they had for many nights, but something was off. It was the same words she had heard over and over again, but they weren't right. It sounded all wrong. Snapping herself out of her momentary trance, she saw something out of the corner of her eye moving. Focusing, she grinned, realizing it wasn't Stiles she had seen. Her eyes went back to Isaac's and she wrapped both of her hands around his wrist, slowing prying it off with her last ounce of adrenaline. The self-satisfied look on the wolf's face faded into a shocked frown. In the temporary distraction, she did the one thing she still had left - she sent a swift kick between his legs.

In seconds, the boy crumpled to the ground and was yanked away from Maddie by a yellow-eyed Scott into the opposite wall so hard, that it shook the house. Isaac's head slumped over and, in seconds, Scott had rushed upstairs. Maddie rolled her neck and gently rubbed it, although it stung a bit. Turning the corner into the dining room, she found a mildly concerned Stiles looking up at her. Still, as the house became quieter, his concern faded into a half-smile. "So, I'm one of your people?"

She let out a short, quiet laugh as she held out her hand to him. "Shut up, Stiles."

As Stiles grabbed her hand and she pulled him to his feet, Scott bound back downstairs with the limp body of Erica over his shoulder as Allison followed him down. He grabbed Isaac as well and threw a glance over at Maddie, nodding at the door. Taking the hint, she obliged the request and opened the front door. As Scott threw both betas out onto the sidewalk at Derek's feet, all four of the remaining teenagers stepped outside to the porch.

"I think I'm finally getting why you keep refusing me, Scott." A mildly intrigued yet irritated Derek looked over at the four. "You're not an omega, you're already an Alpha...of your own pack."

And for a moment, Maddie looked over at Scott, then to Allison, and finally to Stiles. There was something natural about standing there with them. There was even something she hadn't felt among the girls she spent years along side. For the first time, she wasn't a soldier in an army. She didn't know what she was yet, but the sound of being in a pack maybe wasn't so bad.

"But you know you can't beat me."

"I can hold you off til the cops get here," Scott shot back.

As sirens sounded in the distance, Derek's smug smile disappeared from his face. Although, a siren wasn't the only thing they heard in the distance. Hissing sounded above their heads and Maddie's eyes darted upwards as they ran out to the lawn to see the roof. _Lydia. _There, on the roof, the kanima slithered out through the window and crawled across the roof tiles. It turned to them, its slitted eyes cold and menacing as the creature screeched. Something rang in Maddie's head though; its scream didn't make her double over, it didn't pierce through her like Lydia's had on two separate occasions. Sure, it was deafening, but not painful.

As it ran off, she heard Derek mutter a command to Boyd but didn't bother to pay it any mind. Of course, if they moved-

That's when something came running out of the house, terrified. There, on the porch, stood Lydia, wide eyed and pale. "Would someone please tell me what the _hell_ is going on?!"

_"Snake's a pretty apt description of him."_

She'd never felt so betrayed by her own words as she stood there, frozen and Scott echoed her own thoughts.

_...Jackson._

* * *

Max Larson _loathed_ driving.

It was a real shame that driving was almost literally all that he ever did. His life was one long road trip up and down that same strip of concrete that wound around the forests and truck stops between San Francisco and Beacon Hills. He didn't even like Beacon Hills, to be quite honest. Something about it was too quiet, too peaceful. It was an unsettling little town in the middle of nowhere. California did not seem like it was ever at a shortage of those, to be fair.

It was already getting late, he noted as he looked down at the blue back light of his dashboard. 10:25 PM. Just late enough to justify a break. A groan rumbled in his throat and he ran a hand through his copper hair. He'd have to stay the night in Beacon Hills, not that that would be any inconvenience for anyone but him. He would sneak into his parents' house and collapse on his old bed for a good five hours before hitting the road again. _Just a few more minutes. _

That was when he found an odd sight on the side of the road in the distance. A car was just off to the side of the blacktop, hood open as smoke billowed out. Beside the vehicle was a girl, hunched over with her head in her hands. Her long dirty blonde tresses curtained over the rest of her face and her arms were covered by an oversized ivory cardigan but he could tell she was frighteningly pale from her exposed legs from her short, floral printed dress. Who wears short skirts in late February? He found himself ignoring the question and pulling over to the side of the road only a few feet away from her. As he exited his car, he noticed that her clothes and skin were covered in dirt.

The sound of his car door slamming shit seemed to call her attention as her head snapped up and her bright, teary blue eyes found his hazel ones instantly. She opened her mouth to speak and it took for more seconds before her words followed. "Oh...oh my god! Thank you for stopping!"

"Er, uh..." Max started, scratching the back of his head and trying at a more concerned look. She was stunning, so much so that it had caught him off guard and distracted him for a moment. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," she answered quickly and sighed. "Well, I'm fine. It's just my car..."

She began babbling, her voice strangled with sobs. He could hardly understand a word but he'd already resolved a plan of action. If he was lucky, perhaps she'd be grateful enough to give him her number - maybe more. It didn't hurt to try, after all. "Hey, it's okay," he cut in, "We're almost to town. We just need to call a tow truck and I can give you a ride or something."

She rushed over to him, an astonished smile spreading across her lips. "Y-you would do that?"

He grinned back at her and shrugged, incredibly aware of how close she was standing him. "Uh, yeah. Sure."

She smiled another second before it dropped back into her despair. "...I...I can't."

"What? Why?"

"It's just that..." She sighed. "It's a long story." As he blinked, her eyes widen and her smile returned, although it was smaller this time. "But there is something you could do!"

He was just about to ask what when he watched her face. Maybe it was a trick of the light, however little of it there was as his headlights were the sole source of it. Her face had shifted. Her elegant, gentle face had been gnarled and twisted. Her eyes faded from blue to a sickly yellow. She smiled again and her canines had extended and sharpened. He tried screaming as she growled.

She gripped his neck and yanked it down to her level as she sunk her teeth into the pallid flesh. Blood trickled down her chin and onto her dress and his shirt. Even still, she didn't take much; he was still conscious although his eyes were half-lidded. The boy had been reduced to sobs of 'please don't kill me' just as she retracted her fangs and grinned, leaning in close to his ear. "Deliver a message. Pretty please...for _me._"


	31. Chapter Thirty: Slayer

**A/N: And here we are, my friends. The end of Act Two. Thank you to all of the fans who've been here from the beginning, who've inspired me to continue this. You guys made this story happen! And we're far from done in the AR [_Apocalypse Rising_] Universe. There are still loads of unanswered questions on the horizon and many more after this chapter. So, strap in! You're in for a bumpy ride.**

**ALSO! Find me A Slayer In The TARDIS on youtube for the official Act Three Trailer!**

* * *

**Chapter 30: Slayer**

* * *

**Song Recommendation [**"Vengeance" - Zack Hemsey**]**

**NOTE: For the full experience, I do personally suggest seeking out the song rec.**

* * *

Maybe it wasn't the best idea to have Allison and Lydia travel alone.

Maybe it wasn't the best idea to try and chase after the kanima.

While Maddie was at it, it was a stupid as hell idea to stay in this town to begin with - but hindsight always seemed to slap her in the back of the head, so why dwell?

She had made it all the way to the parking garage on foot, all the while assuming Stiles and Scott would eventually catch up. Of course, Derek had beaten her there and the Argents' black SUV even before that. It was her first instinct to go anyway, but if Gerard found her fighting beside _Derek freaking Hale_, she was as good as dead too. She didn't need to give them more reasons to turn on her. Instead, as Chris made a bee line for the creature, Maddie had hid several pillars away, taking advantage of the distracted shapeshifter.

As the kanima screeched and shots sounded around her head, she held her breath. Any sudden movement could guarantee her a bullet to the chest as well, and, unfortunately, that was not something she could say she was completely immune to.

The echoes of gunfire faded and the empty lot became quiet again. She released her breath and peeked from behind the cement structure. There on the ground laid the kanima, silent and still. No, not just the kanima - _Jackson_. She might have found herself somewhat irritated by the boy on a regular basis, _but_... As her muscles relaxed and her stare fell to the ground, she felt her foot slip a centimeter or two across loose pebbles on the ground. It was the tiniest noise but it seemed to call something's attention.

She could hear footsteps getting closer when she again heard an ear-piercing shriek.

Suddenly, the next noise she heard was something slamming into the other side of the very same pillar. She stiffened for a moment and, in the next, leaned to her side to find what had made the sound. On the ground was the pained and out of breath form of Allison's father watching something with fear in his eyes.

There was a mild bit of concern, as he had housed her and trained for quite sometime now. She wanted to fight it, but found herself crouching close to the ground and moving around the pillar. She wanted to ask if he was alright, but didn't get the chance. This seemed to catch the aging hunter's attention as his eyes darted over to her. His typically stony gaze remained just that - but there was something else there. Concern. _Knowing_.

"Leave," he muttered quietly, in the same gruff tone he always used. "_Now_."

She wanted to ask why but found her eyes wandering over to the blinding headlights, where the kanima was crouched and Gerard stood across from it. There was an uneasy calm that shook her to her core and, without another though, she dashed away before Gerard could see her.

She didn't know where she was running, just away. That's all she knew. It felt wrong to run away from ordinary people, but she didn't like thinking about the alternative either. They still had souls. She would never seriously harm something with a soul, no matter her threats or boasting. Her aimless running didn't last very long though as she heard quick footfalls in the distance and, whether it was Derek or Scott, she knew they would lead back to the monster.

In no time at all, she had found Scott and Stiles hiding just out of view of a club entrance, talking quietly. She felt more out of breath than usual, considering how much she was used to running just about everywhere. Still, she made it over to them and stopped just before running them over. Without giving either of the boys a chance to speak, she asked, "Well? Where is it?"

They both gave her strange looks for a moment before turned to the sign at the club entrance that glowed neon green. As she watched more and more people pile through the entrance, her shoulders slumped. _Of course._

* * *

It certainly was not her scene, for more reasons than one.

After sneaking in through the back in the least subtle of ways, they entered the crowded, humid building. She didn't really understand the looks she was receiving until she really took a moment to look around. She couldn't seem to find any other females.

"Dude, everyone here's a dude! I think we're in a gay club," she heard Scott note.

This was followed closely by, "Man, nothing gets past those keen werewolf senses, huh, Scott?"

Even she found herself mildly amused at the sight of Stiles surrounded by a group of drag queens who were giving him some extra attention. He looked almost as helpless as he usually did around most monsters, maybe more. Maybe a few years ago, she would've been too. Alas, she could still remember days in San Francisco, following Marie's lead and finding a much less hostile environment in clubs specifically like this one. If anything, they weere her favorite.

Although she found herself torn between helping and letting him suffer in awkwardness, her kinder side won out and she strode over to the group. A wide, friendly smile spread across her lips as she directed her attention to the small group. Without saying a word to the boy in the center, she took hold of his sleeve. "Sorry, ladies - this one's with me."

_'Us' probably would have sound better. _It was only a fleeting thought.

Without another word, she tugged Stiles along with her to the bar where Scott watched in amusement. The bartender had turned his attention to them as Maddie let go of Stiles' sweat jacket and the scrawny boy spoke up to the man behind the counter. "Three beers!"

Maddie shook her head. "A water."

Stiles rolled his eyes and shrugged. "Two beers and a _water_."

The bartender smiled politely at Maddie before returning his attention to the boys. "IDs?"

She watched the boy awkwardly pull out two driver's licenses, waiting for the bartender to analyze them. After the man did, he gave the two a dead pan stare. "How about two cokes?"

"Rum and cokes, sure!" Stiles agreed while another awkward silence passed in a room that was all but silent. Another moment of scrutinizing stares passed before Stiles spoke again. "Coke's fine, actually. I'm driving anyway."

Maddie turned away with a small laugh, deciding that her efforts were better spent away from their antics. She had barely heard the glass of water being set behind her when something caught her eye in the crowd. It wasn't Danny, as Stiles pointed out moments later. It wasn't even the kanima that crawled above their heads, even though she knew it should've been her priority.

Then it went through the crowd again - the thing that caught her eye. It was human. The person was stumbling through the crowd away from her, clutching his neck. His hood was up but she could tell something was wrong - wrong and familiar.

She left the bar silently gently pushing through the crowd. There was no sign of the hooded stranger. The slayer knew there was something off about whoever it was. Something out of the norm. She swallowed as it passed between couples dancing to the pulsing music. There was something about it that seemed urgent. The girl didn't even know where her friends were anymore. She didn't know where the kanima was. She knew she'd even seen Derek Hale and he wasn't enough to call her attention.

Something in the far reaches of her mind had latched onto this figure in the mass of people.

That's when she felt a hand on her forearm before it forced her to spin around. Before her was a hooded boy with sallow skin and dirty, copper hair. His green eyes were unfocused as they looked right through her. He still held his neck as he began to choke out words. "Slayer."

Her breath caught in her throat. Her thoughts were spinning as she heard a scream behind her. She wanted the boy to let go so she could run towards the sound, but his grip tightened. "Who...who are you?" she felt the sentence spill out, although she feared the answer.

"The mother and..." he coughed violently, "...and her chosen son...they know...they..."

"Know? Know what?!" she heard herself shout. She had no control over it; her panic had taken hold of her. "Who is-"

He tugged her closer as his black hood fell off. Her eyes widened as they were directed to the place his other hand was still clasped over. Blood ran down his neck and chest, under his sweatshirt. It seeped through his fingers. When she heard his speak again, it was raspier, more like a growl. "They're going take it. They know the way. Your wall will crumble. Your dogs will be gutted. **_Your beacon will burn._**"

_"They're going take it." _Why did she know that?

"Take...take what?!" she shouted over the noise. "_Take what?!_"

He coughed again, this time in her face. She stiffened, seeing specks of red on the corner of his mouth. Maddie looked down at her shirt and the skin just above it. Dots of blood stained both and her heartbeat quickened in her chest. She looked up to see the boy but he crumpled to the floor in a heap.

"No, no, no, no..."She bent down to the boy and shook him, but the moment she felt his chest, couldn't detect a thumping of a heart under it. She shook her head furiously. "Please! You have to...you can't - you..."

The screaming and sirens bled into the background and she felt someone pull her away.

* * *

It must have been a huge gap of time between watching a boy die on the dance floor and standing by the jeep, Maddie decided.

It wasn't, really. It just felt that way. It wasn't all that long ago that she had wiped the blood from her face and neck. It wasn't long ago that she had tried to go back in.

Maddie was already reasoning with herself, telling herself the boy was already that way. He was a pawn. She needed to know so much though...how did he get that far into town that way? How did he know where she was? Who are the mother and her chosen son?

That was a different question entirely, though. She knew that part from the wound on his neck.

He'd been attacked by a vampire.

"You okay?" she heard the question beside her as she stood by the rolled down, driver side window.

Her head snapped over to the jeep, finding a pair of worried, brown eyes meeting her gaze. She nodded, attempting a comforting smile but failing miserably.

"What happened in there?"

"I..." she began but shook her head. "You have enough to deal with."

He shrugged, trying at a smile. His attempt seemed much more successful than hers. "I owe you my life like a billion times over, so let me help." There was the clearing of a throat behind him and his gaze shot back to Scott for a second before returning to hers. "I, uh...I mean _us_. Let _us_ help."

The smile came a bit easier this time for her. "Right." She glanced into the back seat where an unconscious Jackson groaned and tossed a bit. "If you two survive the next few hours, I'll call."

"If you don't..." Stiles eyed her cautiously. "Seriously, Mads. Just..."

"I will. I swear." She sighed. "I just...I need some time to process things."

There wasn't another word passed between the two and Maddie could hear a siren in the distance. She gave him a grateful nod which he returned, although the worry on his face had not ebbed. He almost looked like he wanted to add something, but stayed silent. Before she changed her mind, she made a snap decision and sprinted away, toward the Argent residence.

* * *

A drive was the best course of action after dropping off Lydia, Allison noted.

She needed to get away from everything for a bit. She needed to get away from her family that didn't want her in the way, her friend that she was forced to lie to, the rest of the group that didn't need her help, and a plethora of other problems that were running rampant in her brain.

The dark road stretched for miles, twisting and turning around neighborhoods and thick trees as her hand found the volume control knob on her dashboard and cranked it. A song she didn't recognize started on her Pandora, but it roared through the speakers and pulsed through her whole body. It was almost therapeutic.

That was when she caught the form of a blonde girl on the side of the road out of the corner of her eye. She was jumping a little and nearly walking out into the middle of the road. It wasn't until she got closer that she recognized the face - but only vaguely. The girl was from school, at least recently she was. She was the same girl who she had spotted Maddie talking to earlier that morning in halls. She might have even spotted her in Econ today, if she remembered correctly. Maybe she was new. Whoever she was though, she looked utterly panicked.

Allison found herself frowning, knowing that she didn't really want to stop but not having the heart to drive past. She slowed the car and pulled over to the side of the road. She lowered the volume of the music and rolled down the passenger side window, leaning over to to smile politely at the girl. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Um, not really..." the blonde said with a nervous laugh as she crouched down a bit to look in the car. "Freaked out, mostly. Verging on terrified."

"Did you need a ride?"

"Oh my god! Would you? That'd be- I mean..." she stumbled over her words. "Yes! That'd be great!"

Allison unlocked the passenger side door. The girl seemed nice enough and she couldn't imagine anyone faking that kind of terror. The girl climbed in the car and fumbled with her seat belt for a moment but seemed to settle in. The brunette sent her a gentle smile. "Okay, where am I going?"

The blonde gave sheepish smile, her blue eyes still full of panic. "Um...that's kind of the thing. I don't know." Allison was about to open her mouth to question the reply, but was beat to the punch. "I mean, I'm new and I was just wandering a little bit and then this thing, this _shadow thing_, started chasing me! And I ran as fast as I could and I wasn't looking where I was going and-"

"It's okay. Breathe. You'll be okay," Allison answered with a soft pat on the girl's shoulder. "Do you know your address yet?"

The blonde let out a long exhale and nodded. "Yeah. Um, 219 Walsh?"

Allison smiled again and typed the street address into her GPS. "Alright, let's get you home."

* * *

Maddie hated using the front door. It was basically announcing to the whole house that she'd been out and it was typically followed by a long list of questions. _Where were you? What were you doing? Did you see anything suspicious? Why were you out so late? Were you with Scott? Did you see Derek?_ It was all so tiring. She bet that the old Watcher's Council wouldn't even give her this much trouble. This was why she was now on the roof, heading towards her room.

She groaned at the thought of the council, suddenly reminded that she was going to have to let HQ know about all of this. The kanima. The boy. All of it.

She hid in a shadow atop the roof before quickly walking across it and to her window. With little effort, Maddie pushed the widow open and tumbled gently into her room and onto her floor.

She wasn't alone.

Lying flat on her back on the carpeted floor, Maddie looked up to find a shocked Lydia staring at her. The strawberry blonde sent her a shocked look. "What the hell are you doing?!"

"What am _I_ doing?! What the hell are _you_ doing?!" Maddie asked in a hushed tone. "Why are you here?"

"Easy! You're, like, _the worst_ liar of any of them," Lydia shot back. "So tell me what happened tonight."

Maddie gaped at her for a second before scrambling to her feet. "...I don't know what you mean."

"See? Bad liar." Lydia folded her arms. "And while we're chatting, what's been going on the past few months? Why aren't you and Allison talking? Why aren't _you_ sleeping? And why the _hell_ did all of you think I was so _stupid_ that I'd buy the study group explanation?"

Maddie bit her lip, standing stone still. This was not what she needed right now. She just saw someone die right in front of her for the first time in months and received a message that...

_"They're going to take it." _The message she just heard, the same one from her dream. The same one that _Lydia_ gave her in her dream. She shook the thought away regardless. _There's no way I'd drag Lydia into this._ She couldn't - but she couldn't lie either. The slayer took a deep breath. "I can't tell you."

"First of all, newsflash - I'm already dragged into this mess."

"Wait, how did you-"

"Also..." She strode over to the lamp switch, illuminating the room in a soft yellow glow. Unfortunately, it seem to illuminate more than just the room as Lydia's eyes grew large and she gestures at Maddie's clothes. "_Why_ is there blood all over your shirt?"

Maddie folded her arms and cast her stare at the floor. "Lydia, this isn't a good time..."

"When _is_ a good time, Maddie?" Lydia's stare was a dangerous mix of hurt and anger. "When my friends are dead? When I end up in an asylum? When the whole _town_ is burning to the ground?! Tell me!"

"_'_Your beacon will burn...'" Maddie muttered under her breath in horror. Her heart was racing in her chest and her thoughts whirled around in her head at break neck speed. Her head snapped back up to meet Lydia's stare. "How did you know that I wasn't sleeping?"

This seemed to catch Lydia off guard as she looked like she was about to answer but no words left her mouth. Her eyes were still wide as they stare off into space. "I...Didn't you tell me?"

Maddie watched the girl and slowly shook her head. _"Maddie needs you." _Lydia didn't even see her when she said that to Stiles.

"I don't...I mean, I..." Lydia's breaths were getting short and her eyes were getting glassy as she looked back at the brunette. "What's happening to me?"

Maddie was frowning again, this time deeper. Guilt was clouding her judgment now and she knew it. Whatever the girl before her _was_, it was enough to know what was happening in the slayer's head. It made no sense, though. Had this happened with anyone else? Maddie swallowed the lump in her throat as she forced the next words out. "They're going to take it."

Lydia's breath hitched as if Maddie had said something terrifying. "How did-...what did you just say?"

"Lydia..." Maddie took a careful step to the frightened girl. "What are they going take?"

The fair girl before her searched the empty space between them, her eyes moving wildly. She knew something, but...she _didn't_. The strangest part was that Maddie believed Lydia's confusion and grief and terror. Why did she trust her so easily? The girl finally looked up at Maddie, fear and confusion behind her gaze. "What you are."

Maddie's eyebrows furrowed as her thoughts came to a halt. The room became eerily quiet and she had to remind herself to breathe again.

There was a long pause before Lydia looked back at Maddie's shirt and up to her face. "But..._what_ are you?"

Maddie swallowed, her throat dry and her thoughts wildly rushing through her head as they all led to the same destination. _Here we go again._

* * *

Her name was Sadie. A fitting name for someone who babbled and smiled all the time. She had told a joke about Coach Finstock and gotten Allison laughing for the first time in what seemed like ages.

"The crazy teachers are always the best," she had said before mentioning music - noting the pop song on the radio - and segueing into friends.

"So, you met Maddie, then?" Allison said in amusement.

Sadie raised an eyebrow. "Brown hair, epic eyeliner, and sorta mean?" After that, Allison giggled and nodded. "Oh yeah. You _live_ with her?"

Allison turned a corner and nodded. "Uh, yeah! We're relatives." She paused for a moment. "Distant relatives."

"That must be _fun_," Sadie quipped.

Allison shrugged but her eyes didn't leave the road. "It's not that bad, really. I mean, it could be worse."

"_But_..."

"But...nothing," Allison resolved with a heaving exhale. "She's nice when you get to know her."

Sadie laughed a short laugh. "Oh, come on! Living with people is_ never_ that easy. Like, me and my sister are always at odds. She always has to out-do me. It's _so_ annoying."

Allison sighed and thought back to the past few months. "Well...okay, there's little things but..." She glanced over at the blonde, who seemed amused at her inability to vent. Allison sucked in a deep breath. "Alright, alright! I mean...she's just...really awesome at a lot things."

Sadie gave her a deadpan stare. "That's not really a complaint, y'know."

"That's the thing!" Allison went on as the GPS interrupted with '**You have arrived at your destination**'. The youngest Argent pulled up outside a massive house. "She's great at all of these things and everyone knows it and I...I'll never be that. No matter how hard I work at it, it'll never happen."

The blonde smile faded into a sympathetic stare.

"Sometimes, I just wish..." Allison paused and looked down at her steering wheel. "I don't know. I wish I could be that, I guess." It was then that she caught herself wallowing in her own self-pity. Although it stirred still in her stomach, she forced an embarrassed laugh. "Oh god! I'm so sorry..."

Sadie managed a small smile. "No, s'okay. I totally get it." She seemed to try at a laugh. "I've been there a whole lot."

As the girl unbuckled her seat belt and opened the door, Allison decided to speak up again. "Thanks. For listening, I mean."

"Anytime, Ally!" Sadie said with a grin which fell into a worried expression. "Can I call you that? I probably should've asked..."

Allison laughed and nodded. "It's okay. Ally's good."

Sadie smiled widely and closed the car door. "See you at school!"

"Yeah, definitely!" With that, Allison rolled up her windows and pulled out of the parking space and drove into the night once again.

As she drove off, Sadie stayed in her spot.

"Today's your lucky day, Ally."

The smile never left her face as her face became sunken in, revealing the bone structure, muscle, and veins. Her hair, once neatly kept, was now straw-like. Her blue eyes seemed brighter than before as they followed the car until it was out of sight. A chuckle came from her throat as she played with the bronze chain of her amulet.

**_"Wish granted."_**

* * *

**An Excerpt from _Bristow's Demon Index _**

**_\+ Vengeance demons_**_, _or _justice demons_ as they preferred to call themselves, are an all-female species of demons who had the power of granting wishes of vengeful intent. Their ranks were gathered by _D'Hoffryn_, who sought out women who exacted curses on those who have done them harm. They were female immortal beings who traveled the world exacting vengeance on behalf of their victims such as wronged and scorned women, dying people, and even _neglected _or abused children.

_Copy of Bristow's Demon Index, property of Wolfram &amp; Hart, AAL, Prophecies &amp; Ancient Texts Dept., Nyazi Dimension. All Rights Reserved._

* * *

**_To Be Continued in Act 3_**


	32. Chapter Thirty One: Peace & Chaos

**A/N: I kind of wanted to build dramatic tension, so here we are a week or so later! I'll make this short but I also want to thank the readers responsible for the phenomenal amount reads and reviews while I've been toiling away. You all are amazing af. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty One: Peace &amp; Chaos**

* * *

_"Your power is rooted in darkness. You must feel it." - Buffy the Vampire Slayer, _**_Buffy Vs. Dracula_**

* * *

_**May 2003**_

The day was too bright, too warm. Her eyes couldn't completely focus the moment she set foot on the front steps of the school. Her body still felt like it was buzzing, full of light and energy. Still, her stomach coiled whenever she thought about it for more than a few seconds, which made it particularly hard to get any rest in the nurse's office. Instead, she found it much easier to focus on everything else - for instance, a blindingly sunny day. Or even her missed math test. She groaned softly and allowed her head to fall back in exasperation. She'd have to retake it during lunch tomorrow.

A hand gripped her arm tightly and yanked her down the steps. Taken off guard by the sudden movement, she willed her legs to move when she caught sight of whom the hand belonged to. The other girl's jet black hair was in a ponytail, making it easier to see her face. She was met, at an alarmingly close proximity, with the wide hazel eyes of Trista. Her pulse quickened but she allowed the girl to drag her into the shadows of the school, the reality of her situation sinking into her chest. She wasn't there to give the larger girl the answers. She wasn't there to ensure a passing grade. She wasn't there. _She wasn't there_. She was dead.

She could feel the tears begin to stream down her face.

They stood in the shadow of the sun bleached brick building and Madeline Hayes found herself rushing to the ground in one throw. Normally she would land face first in the dirt, perhaps with a few scrapes on her face from tiny jagged rocks. Not this time though; this time, her hands sprang into action, making a barrier between her face and the patch of grass by only an inch.

She could feel the girl above her glaring and hear her quiet snarls, soon accompanied by the other children in the distance shouting. "Tee's gonna whale on someone! Look!"

Something in Maddie was still coiling tightly, like her insides had turned into a spring that was being pushed in on either side. She wiped her wet cheeks on the sleeve of her violet shirt and stood. Once she slowly turned around to face the girl, she was immediately met with the sting of a hard slap to her left cheek. It was hard, yes, but only because she saw how much force Trista put into it. It stung only for a moment and hardly was strong enough to move Maddie's head even a centimeter. The small girl touched her cheek and felt no pain.

"I failed that test because of you!" Trista screamed. Around, them the hellish roar of "fight! fight! fight!" grew deafening and pressed against the spring Maddie's insides had become. She'd done so well at avoiding a beating for nearly three whole months. Why was this happening?

"It's your fault!"

Maddie's tears had ebbed only momentarily, as if something in her was willing her toward something deeper.

In a split second, the tiny brunette found herself whipped into the brick wall of the school. She'd flinched, awaiting something more agonizing. Again, it only stung for a second. Something was different. Even has the other girl put all of her weight into pinning Maddie against the wall, it felt feather-light.

"You're mom and dad won't recognize you when I'm done." It wasn't the first time she said that. The first time, she remembered telling her parents that she took a bad tumble down steep hill. She remembered her first fractured bone. Her mom cried when she saw the bruises.

The spring burst out.

It all happened in a haze. Red haze. A flood of bruises and blood. There were other children screaming. She could feel something crack as her fist landed on its target again and again. Rage and power held her tightly and split her in two all at once as her hands were first covered in the blood of someone else.

Whatever light had formed inside her that day didn't come without something heavy and dark. Something primal. Something _uncontrollable_.

* * *

_Something pooled on the blacktop and at her feet, thick and warm as it touched her bare toes._

_Her eyes darted to the ground and her breath caught in her throat. The liquid crawling over her feet shined in the dim light like the burgundy wine her mother would have with dinner every night._

_No. Wine wasn't thick; wine wouldn't warm her cold feet. Wine didn't smell like her father's weapon cabinets - musky and metallic. Her heart raced as she followed the trail on the dark, wet canvas until it led to pale flesh and soaked blonde curls - then, finally, to open blue eyes. Blood trickled down the young girl's neck as someone feasted from it. Not someone - _**_something_**_. Allison clasped her hand over her mouth to stop the scream that threatened to tear through her throat._

_The creature lifted it's grim, yellow gaze and smiled at Allison with long, bared fangs. The young brunette patted down her pockets, hoping for something. A weapon, maybe. Still, there was nothing. Hesitantly, she took a step back until she thought she saw the girl's mouth move from several feet away. Over and over again, the same motions. Allison found herself squinting at the girl, trying to read her lips._

_**"Alone."**_

_No. That couldn't be it. The creature whose mouth was dripping with the girl's blood growled and took a threatening step forward. Allison balled her fist instinctively but backed away all the same, only making herself angry. She spun around to run but was stopped immediately by another blonde in front of her. This one was smaller with smoother (albeit damp) hair and soft green eyes full of tears. Her white dress was torn and covered in dirt but it was really the girls frightened gaze that caught Allison's attention. It almost reminded her of her own._

_Her lips moved but the sound that came from them was a few seconds off and so quiet Allison hardly heard it._

_**"I'm sixteen years old. I...I don't wanna die."**_

_A pale, clawed hand grabbed the girl's neck from behind and the blonde gave Allison a hard shove out of the way. Before the youngest Argent fell to the ground, she caught a glimpse of the man behind the blonde. All she could see in the blur were hideous red eyes peering down at her._

_She hit the ground with a thud, feeling dry dirt beneath her fingernails. As Allison took a deep breath, she could smell the heavy scent of incense burning. In the distance, the sound of screams and pounding filled her ears. Her focus on the noise didn't last long though, as dirt flew up in her direction and she covered her face with her forearm and it sprayed across the sleeve of the oversized, long sleeve shirt she wore. When the dust cleared, she peered through only to see another blurry figure in the dim candlelight._

_It was then that something inside her seemed to snap - something strange, primal. Something that didn't feel like her. Her hand instinctively searched the ground and found the rough leather and cool metal of a hilt. She gripped it and, in one smooth motion, leaped to her feet and charged the clearer image of a man. He dodged._

_**"Just like I pictured it. This good for you?"**asked the man, his voice out of breath but gleeful with a thick cockney accent taunting her._

_She whipped around to meet his eyes but the room had grown almost bright, almost enough to blind her momentarily. This room became clear and distinct in mere seconds though. There was someone in front of her again, this time alarmingly close and detailed. More detailed than anyone else she had encountered. She could make out her pale complexion and the pale blue hues of her eyes, which were already wide and piercing through Allison's. She could make out the woman's perfection coiffed black hair that fell over her shoulders. She could see the hand of the woman between the while two of her manicured fingers aligned with Allison's eyes._

_**"Be in my eyes."**_

_She couldn't move. Even with the adrenaline pumping through her veins, she couldn't will her body to run or fight._

_**"Be in me."**_

_She had to move. This couldn't be it. Not after her training. Not after she left her family behind, a family that she never knew. It couldn't all be for nothing. She couldn't leave the innocent to die. She couldn't leave the only friend she had to fight alone. They finally weren't alone. Not now._

_Allison could hardly even understand her own thoughts. They didn't feel like hers though._

_In a rapid strike, the woman sliced her nail across Allison's neck. In sheer terror, the teenage girl gripped her own neck, feeling the same warm, thick liquid seep through her fingers and down her shirt. What she didn't feel, though, was the wound. There was no pain. Still, her vision was blurring and flickering to black. She felt her legs crumple beneath her and she fell to her knees. Before she could pass out, shock and adrenaline once again shot through her and she caught herself by placing her hands on the floor._

_It wasn't the floor. It was stone. It was stone that she was now shackled to. Iron cuffs had, at some point, encircled her wrists and she had no idea how or when._

_The room was bright and blue where she was, still crouched. She shook off the last of her grogginess that lingered in her head and unsteadily stood. As it turned out, she was standing in the only bright spot in the room. Not a room. A cave. In the darkness surrounding her, she could make out four shadows, three of which moved more and seemed farther away._

_"Let me go!" It wasn't a plead, but a command as the words left Allison's mouth. Her rage and confusion outweighed her fear tenfold._

_**Crack**. The sound of wood hitting hard stone echoed around her and she jumped. It sounded again and again, in slow rhythm._

_The figure - the closest to her - stepped forward, toward her. Not stepped, though. Its movement didn't indicate a step that had been taken - but it moved forward still, gliding perhaps._

_A shadow was the perfect description of it. Looking ahead, straight into it, was like looking into the abyss. It was an all-encompassing darkness that Allison felt the urge to run from, but, at the same time, felt comforted by. Warmth and cold. Life and death. Peace and chaos. Unknown._

_The figure stepped into the light, revealing a woman - no, a girl. Someone young with dark skin, scorched by the harsh sun. Her movements were animalistic, cautious and threatening as her matted, dark hair hid most of her face. Torn and dirty white scraps of thin cloth covered her, matching the cracked white mud that was caked on her face in the shape of a skull. Then there were her eyes, dark and feral - but, most of all, tired. Old. Empty. Allison felt like she knew those eyes._

_**"You're right, you don't know me."**The voice echoed in her head._

_The eyes were questioning her but the girl made no words, no sound._

_**"You're not one of us,"** whispered a voice. A voice she knew, at that. Out of her peripheral, she caught sight of strawberry blonde locks and green eyes. Lydia? No. It didn't feel like it was Lydia. Something about her wasn't right. She was simply something...familiar. Familiar and not the focus of the young Argent's attention._

_Allison, still struggling against the iron shackles, looked at the girl in rags that was examining her. The fair brunette's brows knitted together and, in her terror, she took a breath. "One of you?" She addressed the girl as if the voice had come from her and it felt strange. "What do you mean one of you? Who...who are you?"_

_**"Words will not stop the night from coming."** The rhythmic cracking continued, gaining speed and volume. When Allison was about to speak again, the girl stood, meeting Allison at eye level. _**_"The shadows are waiting for you."_**

_The girl backed away again, retreating into the darkness as the noise got louder. Allison struggled against her chains even more, frantic to break them._

_**"The beast will come, the flames will rise...and the chosen will fight."**_

_Rising out of the dark and into the dim light was a funneled pitch black smoke, first slowly. As Allison watched it curve and twist above her, she pulled against the chains in panic as the cuffs dug into her skin. In the blink of an eye, the smoke speeded toward her before she felt it claw through her eyes and mouth. She tried to scream but felt herself choking on what had to have been ash. She couldn't see anything for only a moment until something flashed in front of her._

_Bodies. Severed bodies._

_Pools of blood._

_A large, bearded man as the head of a mob...laughing._

_Trees burning. People screaming._

_Allison could feel her hands trembling, even as something strange gripped her bones tightly. Something foreign._

_Graves. A field of thousands._

_Creatures smiling in the dark, baring their fangs._

_In that instant, something powerful and painful erupted in every nerve ending in her body, like all of her bones had shattered and become whole again in the same moment, but denser. They felt whole. They felt _**_like steel_**_._

_**"I am destruction. Absolute. Alone."**_

_Faces, all girls, flew through her head rapidly as her skin hummed._

_A match. The smell of gasoline. An explosion._

Allison bolted upright out of bed, gasping for air as her head spun. The sunlight filling her room blinded her and she furiously rubbed her eyes. She still could see the faces. She could hear Lydia's voice saying words that she'd never say. She could remember the feeling of blood slipping between her fingers. _It was just a dream._

Once her sight had adjusted, she looked down at her hands. They were the same. Pale, small, a bit shaky, but nothing odd.

Still, in the quiet of her room, Allison Argent could swear that they...that _she_ was different.

* * *

**"Do I need to explain to you the point of a secret identity?"**

"Well, what the hell was I supposed to do?" Maddie whispered in a harsh voice over her phone. Not harsh per se, but perhaps hoarse from all of the talking she had to do last night. Or maybe she was simply getting sick. She did feel a bit dizzy when she stood up that morning, after all. Whatever she was going through though, the last thing she needed was _Stiles_ lecturing her. That would most certainly be a new low. It was enough that she kept her promise to call. She rolled her eyes as she bound down the stairs and to the kitchen. "Lie again? When has that ever worked?"

There was a pause. **"The point is that the werewolf thing isn't really your secret to tell!"**

"I didn't bring up the werewolf thing!" she groaned. Here he was judging her actions while he had Jackson locked up in a police van. _Typical_.

**"How did you tell her the slayer thing and somehow avoid the werewolf thing? They're pretty interlocked."**

She shrugged as if he could see it. "It didn't come up. We just know that whatever she is knows more than a little about what I am. If Scott or Allison want to do a big reveal and fill in any blanks, that's on them. Keeping it a secret's pretty pointless now, though – and that'll sort of make them look like jackasses in the long run."

**"Y'know, with a kind, considerate spirit like yours, it's a wonder you work alone."**

She caught herself before she huffed loudly into the receiver. It was too early to be pissed off at him. Instead, for once, she had a better idea. "You know me - I'm kind of _a league of one_." For a second there, it sounded like Stiles started choking on something and the line became silent. "You okay?"

**"Yeah,"** he said, his voice now hoarse as well. He cleared his throat. **"I'm fine. I, uh...I'm good. Totally fine."**

A small, almost inaudible chuckle escaped her throat and she smirked, as if this was the reaction she wanted. It was almost... At the mere thought of the word that came next, her smile fell flat and she shook her head as she reached the fridge. Like she actually cared that that even got a reaction at all. "I gotta go."

**"Yeah, me too."** His words came out just as quickly, almost jumbled together. Still, the next thing he said caught her off guard. Not because of the words themselves, but the eagerness is his voice. **"See you after school?"**

"If you're still alive by that point, then sure."

**"...You really need to work on your jokes, Mads."**

She almost laughed again. "Bye, Stiles."

As she tucked her phone into her back pocket and pulled out the milk from the fridge, she could hear footsteps on the far end of the growing louder. A low clearing of a throat sounded behind her and she couldn't help but roll her eyes. Spinning on the ball of her foot, she was met with the familiar weathered face of Chris Argent. He had the same gruff expression he always wore and she wondered vaguely if he had any other expression.

"It almost sounds like your friend's in trouble." His eyes narrowed only slightly.

Maddie attempted not to stiffen up, not to change her expression. This was the part that she hated the most about living with the Argents. They were constantly looking over her should, listening and judging. They were everything she was warned about as far as the people who knew what she was. Her lips almost twitched. "It happens when you're defending your friends from people with guns."

The look on Chris' face seemed almost amused by the reply in spite of himself, like he didn't take her comments too seriously because he obviously knew better. It was infuriating. "I'm sure it does."

She moved past him with the milk and went for the pantry, opening the door and grabbing a box of Fruity Pebbles and kicking the door shut behind her - an act she only did when Victoria was _not_ in the room. As she poured herself a bowl of cereal at the center island countertop, she continued to glare at the man who had allowed her to begin eating before interrogating her further. With her mouth full, she offered, "Anything else? Or can I eat?"

"Actually, yeah," he began, folding his arms. "We need you to be here Saturday evening."

"Why?" Still, she did not bother to pause her meal.

Chris blinked his blue eyes slowly, which she caught. It was usually fairly easy to irritate the man. "Because it's family night. I volunteered both you and Allison to help in the kitchen."

Finally, she set down her spoon and glared in his direction. "What? You can't do that."

"I already did."

"First of all, I'm not family. Second, do you know what volunteer means?" she argued, feeling more of her sense of self-preservation more than the annoyance she was allowing to rise in her tone. "Besides, Allison won't agree to this."

"Did I hear my name?" The fair brunette came rushing through the kitchen, hair slightly more disheveled than usual and eyes wide as she attempted to go through her usual morning routine, only a bit clumsier than usual.

"Be home Saturday evening," Chris started, giving Maddie a pointed look as he spoke to his daughter. "It's family night."

Allison mumbled a quick "okay" as she grabbed two granola bars from the cupboard and bound toward the fridge. Chris, with a look that showed absolutely no surprise whatsoever, gestured to Allison with his hand and gave Maddie a looked that said 'see?'. She gave him a narrowed stare back before drinking her milk and dumping her bowl in the sink. As she passed the man and maneuvered around Allison who was pouring herself some orange juice with a slightly shaky hand, she quickly put the milk away in the fridge.

"Fine. Whatever. Saturday night." She only waited a moment for Allison to down her juice and nodded in the direction of the front door. Allison gave her a most peculiar stare but nodded all the same before waving a goodbye to her dad and following Maddie out of the house.

As Maddie's stare followed Allison out of the house, the slightly shorter girl raised an eyebrow. Something seemed off about the girl. Different. Wrong. As if she wasn't completely there. As they got into the car, Maddie was hit with the familiar scent of vanilla and stale spearmint gum, which always seemed to match Allison. Now, though...Allison didn't seem to match Allison. Maddie frowned and furrowed her brows at the girl. "...is everything okay?"

"What?!" Allison jumped at the sound of the other girl's voice which, in turn, startled Maddie. There was a moment of panic that faded after a second or two and the fairer girl sighed. "Yeah, I just...had a weird dream. That's all."

A bit worried about Allison's next reaction, Maddie simply nodded and stayed silent for the rest of the ride to school. She allowed her thoughts to fade back into more important things. Lydia's current state. Stiles holding Jackson captive. Then, of course, the most important: the things that sent her a message. The _vampires_.

Whatever Allison was going through, Maddie was sure she could handle it on her own for now.


	33. Chapter Thirty Two: Nerves

**A/N: New chapter! The day after the premiere of season 5! I'm so excited. Also, things are developing in the chapter. _Important things._ Enjoy!**

**Song Recommendation [**"Madness" - Muse**]**

**NOTE: For the full experience, I do personally suggest seeking out each song rec.**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty Two: Nerves**

* * *

School made everything more difficult.

Considering Maddie had never gotten the opportunity to be what she was and a student at the same time before that year, it felt like splitting her brain in two nearly every day. One side was devoted solely to her mission, which she was becoming largely confused on as days past; the other half kind of payed attention in school. She couldn't see anyone really caring, but part of her was starting to - especially math. She used to be so good at math.

She grumbled to herself as she walked out of Calculus with a stapled together stack of paper. The number 68 was written in red and circled, constantly drawing Maddie's defeated stare back to it. She hardly even remembered the day she took the test, much less the unit she was told to study. _Could be worse. Could be failing!_ Marie's flighty voice rang in her head with a scoffing laugh like it was a joke and she grimaced.

It wasn't much longer until she spotted the familiar black-haired boy standing at the other end of the hall and focused on his phone. It was odd to see him alone; in fact, Maddie couldn't remember a time when she'd seen Scott without Stiles in toe or Allison a few yards away in a poor attempt at trying to ignore each other. She tucked her deplorable test in the top book she was carrying (which wasn't even her math book, at that) and strode quickly over to Scott. "How are they?"

He seemed a bit startled when he looked up from his phone but nodded a hello. "Uh...good. I think."

This was their friendship - if she could call it that. No 'hey'. No 'what's up'. In fact, she couldn't think of a time that they had ever even had an amiable conversation. She wasn't sure what an amiable conversation with Scott would be. _"Hey! How's the werewolf thing going?" _or _"Patrol party! You bring the claws, I bring the stakes!"_. No, the only thing she could usually think of was "stop being an idiot". Clearly, she still had quite a way to go. Even so, they began walking side by side in silence as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Scott pocketed his phone and his eyes shot over to her, all wide and dark and worried. "Hey, have you seen...um..."

_Allison_, she thought, almost in amusement. She knew he couldn't say it out loud, for fear that someone might over hear him but it was the only subject that seemed to come up with Scott. Sure, there was nothing wrong with that. It was good that he cared so much. As the weeks had worn on, she found herself wondering if she would ever care about people as much as Scott McCall. Maddie nodded but kept her gaze forward. "Yeah. Drove me here. She, uh...was acting a little weird today."

"Weird, how?" Scott asked, panic jumping into his voice.

Maddie shrugged, searching for a way to explain it. "...I don't know, like...like she kept looking at me on the way here. Not normal looks. Weird ones, like..." She thought back to the drive to school, being watched. She would turned just a bit toward the passenger window and Allison jumped. She hadn't even spoken a word to the girl the whole way. Instead, as soon as Allison locked the doors, she had fast-walked to the school entrance. Maddie knew the reaction all too well. She hadn't expected it now, though. Not from Allison, at least. Her shoulders slumped low and her brows furrowed. "...She was afraid. She's never been afraid of me, not even when she first found out about everything."

"But then why would she be afraid of you _now_?" As Scott spoke, Maddie had prepared herself for an accusatory tone, but it never came. It was a genuine, concerned question, like he hadn't even stopped to think that Maddie had done something to make Allison afraid. Like he knew better than that, even when he had no reason to. She didn't question it - regardless of how grateful she felt - but instead moved on as they entered their English classroom and he chimed in again. "Unless...it's not you she's afraid of."

That made Maddie turn to the boy, confusion in her gaze. "Then who?"

The question went unanswered as they both spotted Allison sitting by the window. The two took the last remaining seats, Scott's in the center of the room just diagonal of Allison and Maddie's in the back corner, far from both.

Once she set her bag and books down, she caught only a bit of Allison attempting to get Scott's attention. There was somnething much more attention grabbing walking through the door, though. The click of beige heels on the linoleum became more like the tolling of a bell, a warning of something terrible. Maddie found herself staring, wide eyed for only a second before her anger and shock flooded her gaze. The woman she was glaring at was speaking in the same calm, smooth, and menacing tone as was typical of Victoria Argent.

There was a faint buzzing that slowly grew in Maddie's ears, blocking out the voice as piercing blue eyes traveled from Scott to her. There is was - that same look she'd been receiving every day for months. The look suspicion, disgust. The look of rage. She knew that look the most, because it was the very one that reflected her own and not even Victoria Argent couldn't scare it away anymore. Instead, the raw anger swelled in her thoughts, even moreso when Allison caught up with her after school with the only two words she had been dreading all day.

"They know."

* * *

_"No, they can't,"_ Stiles had protested, catching his breath after both girls managed to sneak up on him. _"I've been texting his parents since last night. They don't have a clue."_

_"My grandfather told me his parents went to the police. They **know**."_

That had been less than five minutes earlier, Maddie recalled, gripping the metal bench she sat on in the back of the van tightly as the vehicle tumbled over rocks and dirt hills, causing it to shake wildly. She looked down at her phone momentarily to avoid eye contact with the fuming boy across from her. Sure, it had merely been a bad judgment call due to the lack of seats in the front, but she could've ran. Back in October, she probably would've. This wasn't necessarily her fight, she might have reminded them. Instead, she allowed herself to be locked up in the back of a police van and glared at in the name of protecting a bunch of people with poorer planning skills than her.

"You know, it not all that surprising."

Maddie's stare snapped up to Jackson's, shocked. Either he had developed mind reading capabilities or her expression had been far too obvious.

"Finding you here. With them," he continued, his tone acidic as he spat out the words and they began to eat away at her. "Going along with their little game."

Vaguely, Maddie recalled the last time she'd been stuck alone with Jackson Whittemore. It made her a little sick at the thought of exactly how good it felt to punch something that could crumble so easily. It was blind, bitter rage. Rage not even aimed at the blue eyed boy across from her. What made it worse was wanting to do it again. She swallowed her annoyance at his words and mustered up her most exaggerated eye roll. "Shut up."

"Or what?" he taunted, his icy stare narrowing. "You'll hit me? Add assault and battery to kidnapping?"

Her dark eyes bored into his, glowering. She stayed silent, attempting to focus on other things, on more important things - even though she was gritting her teeth and struggling not to clench her fists.

"I don't think you'd do it. Not to them." He turned to his left, to the wall of metal, with a thoughtful look, as if he could see through it. He turned back to her, a smirk slithering onto his face._ How appropriate._ "Especially not to Stilinski."

She felt her whole body twitch slightly at the comment, like she had experienced some glitch in reality. No, not reality - not really. Maybe just _her _reality. It was involuntary, like an alarm clock went off in her head and she was jolted awake. She had shifted a little, uncomfortably, and looked at the same metal wall. It was only a moment though and she calmly settled back her thoughts of punching Jackson in the face repeatedly. Her stare, dark and menacing, went back to his as he continued to smirk. She rolled her wrist. "I think you'd be surprised at what I'm willing to do."

His eyes narrowed at her before the van came to such an abrupt halt that they both were nearly thrown against the metal wall. It seemed to throw both of them off for a long moment as they shot a look to each other, their shock and annoyance shifting to the driver of the vehicle in silent agreement.

Maddie scrambled to her feet and pounded on the door of the van, as she heard shuffling from outside of it. The double doors swung open to reveal not only Stiles and Allison, but also a concerned Scott. The slayer hopped out of the van, leaves crunching under her boots. All four exchanged looked for a few seconds before directed their stares at Jackson, who was looking more and more angry as time passed. In one awkward, swift moment, the boys closed the doors on him as he shouted angry, muffled words.

They could still hear him even as they walked a safe distance away to the rocky cliff that appeared to overlook the whole town. Before Maddie could allow herself to admire the view, her thoughts had already veered back to their problematic situation.

"To be fair, things are going better than we expected so far," Scott mumbled, although his voice didn't match the sentiment.

Next came a frustrated sigh from Allison, followed by Stiles' panicked tone. "Dude, don't jinx it."

In the distance, Jackson's rage could still be heard at a decibel that the petite brunette didn't think was possible through those walls. Maddie rubbed her temples, fending off what she could only identify as the beginnings of a stress headache, and shook her head. This was going to be one hell of a night.

* * *

The sun had begun to set behind the trees and the sky became a violent mixture of red, orange, and violet. Not the way it did in Scotland. Sun was a rarity and Maddie had grown to expect the rain and the wind and the clouds. The moors had their own beauty that she could appreciate. It certainly reminded her more of growing up in Illinois, only cooler in the summer time. Then again, there wasn't much she remembered about Illinois, so maybe her mind had just made that up. There was no way to tell anymore; Scotland still seemed more real to her. It was almost home.

The sunset wasn't quite like the one in San Francisco either. It was quieter here. Calmer. The sunset was hard and sharp in the city. Once the sun sank into the ocean, everything fell into blackness for only seconds before the artificial light made the city brighter than in the day time. Suddenly, she was illuminated in a different way, a way she wasn't sure if she liked. Nothing slowed, nothing quieted. Just a different sort of daytime for a different sort of people.

Every sunset in Beacon Hills was soft and solemn. Even though Maddie knew what the night often brought, she felt eased into it, like there was a moment in between the busy chatter and the deafening sound of the thoughts keeping her awake before bed. There was silence and painted skies. There were trees that grasped at the dyling light as it poked through branches. There was a sort of peace that she never knew about before.

She sank low into her seat, half leaning against the rolled up window as she watched the rays of sunlight fade behind the thick rows of forest. The jeep made a faint grumbling noise, as it was prone to do, when they turned a corner, away from the woods. Scott had agreed to take the night shift to watch Jackson and Allison decided to join him, much to Maddie's concern._ It wouldn't hurt to give them the benefit of the doubt, Mads, _she thought.

No, that hadn't been a thought. Stiles had only said that a few minutes ago. For someone who didn't really trust anyone - a sentiment she respected and shared - Stiles certainly seemed to trust Scott implicitly. Not that that was all that surprising; it was probably easy to someone he's known for so long.

She blinked, startling herself when she realized she had fixed her stare on the boy's faint reflection in the window as she thought. Not just him, though; she had been watching his hands as they tapped to a beat she didn't recognize, trying to decipher it. If anything, she knew that sounded even worse. She squinted, wanting to see past him to the trees, something she couldn't focus on necessarily. Of course, that was always the issue with Stiles. He always seemed to be right in front of her, being suspicious or worried or cracking a joke. Before she knew it, she was agreeing regularly to rides to and from the Argents', to the point that he would begin showing up before she even called. It wasn't exactly easy to see past a person who was constantly put in front of her.

"You okay?" she heard beside her.

It was especially difficult when they cared.

She didn't turn but happened to watch him look over at her in the reflection. There was a long, quiet breath that filled the momentary silence as Maddie thought. The question bounced around her head, floating through the week's events and even the day so far. No, it was certainly fair to say she was not okay in the slightest. She figured that would be obvious to someone like Stiles but the fact that he would ask regardless might've been just a courtesy. Or maybe it was more like 'on top of everything I know that you're dealing with, is there something else?'. Yeah. That seemed more accurate. She shifted as the groaning in her stomach matched the unpleasant sound of the car. "I dunno. Hungry, I guess."

She didn't even notice at first that her head had turned and she side-eyed him for a second, examining his reaction. There was a second or two of nothing, like he needed a little bit to process what she was saying. Then, without missing another beat, he nodded slowly. Maybe he had expected something else. "...Okay. Did you want to stop and get something?"

She shook her head. "Nope."

"Are you sure? There's, like, a million places between here and Lydia's. I could just-"

"_Stiles_," she cut him off, stressing his name slightly to make her point. "I'm okay. Don't worry about me so much much." She frowned a bit at her own words, as if she had implied something that had only been a silent understanding. As if on instinct alone, she forced out in an almost irritated tone, "It's annoying."

Stiles rolled his eyes dramatically and when he spoke, his voice was approaching rattled. "Yeah, well, you know what else is annoying?"

"What is?" Maddie bit back, scowling at him and narrowing her gaze. Of course, she knew the answer; she could already hear it. She felt almost sure that it had been the reaction she wanted. Annoyed was better than worried.

Stiles had shot his stare over to hers, his expression fuming for about half a second as he opened his mouth, most likely to retort. The look waned rapidly as his light brown eyes watched hers for what seemed like a far too long, insufferably quiet moment. His mouth hesitantly closed again. Maddie shifted again, her eyes shooting away from his in sheer panic. That second (or two or three) was too long, too uncomfortable. Too personal. Again, she felt as if she couldn't look past him, especially now, when she had no place to go - so clearly the only option was to look at something else.

Her eyes move to the windshield, widening in horror. A red light approached quickly and they were nearly right under it when Maddie found herself shouting, "Stop the car!"

Out of her peripheral, she saw the boy's head twist instantly back to the windshield as well before she was jerked forward as the car came to a sudden, jerking stop. In the blink of an eye, a bright yellow sports car sped by, only feet in front of the jeep. Her breathing was ragged and her heart was beating hard enough to fell like it was about to burst from beneath her ribcage. Sure, that was a natural reaction to nearly dying from a car wreck, but she would've been lying to herself if she didn't admit that a (very) small percentage of that was because he had been distracted - by _her_. Regardless of why - although her thoughts went back and forth at rapidfire speed on wanting to know the answer to that - she had been the reason that they nearly _died_.

She whipped around to face him, although the seatbelt managed to keep her back, and punched in the arm. Sure, she held back; she wasn't trying to break his arm, no matter how mad she was. And, boy, was she.

"What the hell?!" Stiles yelped, rubbing his arm.

"We nearly got killed!" Maddie yelled back, gesturing to where the sports car had just passed. "What were you thinking?!"

He stared at her, wide eyed, forming only the beginnings of words like he was choking on a sentence. There was a brief paused before animatedly gesturing to both of them. "We're fine! We're alive, aren't we? We survived. I just got distracted."

Maddie's eyebrows raised slightly, remembering the moment before their near-death experience rather well. Because he had been staring. At her.

Before she could reply, Stiles began stumbling over his words again. "By our conversation. The one th- that we were having. Obviously."

This seemed easier when he would argue with her. Now, he seemed panicked just by looking at her_. No, not panicked._ It was someting close, but different - something less familiar. _Nervous. He's nervous. Around me. _There was a bit of curiosity that came with the thought as it connected in her head with him staring at her in the first place. It almost didn't make any sense. There was no reason for him to be nervous - not the type of nervousness he was giving off at least. This wasn't afraid-nervous, the one that Maddie was most familiar with, the one Allison had been giving off all day. His eyes darted to the windshield again and the jeep rolled into drive once more.

"Sorry," he muttered, his voice thick and almost pained - something she'd never heard before. Something that made her want to apologize for snapping as a small bit of guilt snaked its way into her head. She tried to shake the feeling out of her head with no luck. What was worse was only a few minutes later, as he parked the car just outside of Lydia's house, he turned to her again. This seemed to catch her off guard and she found herself glued to her spot for a moment. His eyes had grown larger and darker, maybe even softer. "You sure you're okay?"

It was such an earnest question, and perhaps a little too genuine. He wasn't moving from his spot, as if her confirmation that would make this uncomfortable moment go away. What was more irritating was that she couldn't move either, like the look he was giving her held her in place and made it difficult to give a clear answer. It terrified her to her core, shaking something that had be laying lifeless inside her for what felt like forever. She gave silent, shaky nod and tried at a smile.

He must've noticed because a slow, nervous grin tugged at his mouth - something that did not go unnoticed. In fact, it was kind of... cute. Instantly, the thought even made her stiffen up for a second as if a shot of electricity jolted up her spine. She tore her gaze away from his and quickly got out of the car. Stiles followed in suit as they silently walked to the front steps of the large, elegant house.

Maddie cleared her throat as she reached the door, hearing Stiles mumble about bad ideas before she raised her hand to knock on the door.

Suddenly, the door swung open, revealing an impatient Lydia Martin, eyeing both Maddie and Stiles. "It's about time." She closed the door behind her and shrugged through the two shocked teenagers with an exasperated look. "You can't just say that all of the supernatural things exist and expect me to take that at face value."

Maddie furrowed her eyebrows as she shot Stiles a worried look, which he returned, before they both looked back at Lydia. The slayer finally got her voice back and replied with a lame, "Wait, what?"

"You want me to believe," Lydia began, folding her around and giving Maddie a look that could pierce through flesh, "then show me."

Both Maddie's and Stiles'mouths were half hanging open when they exchanged another horrified look.

"So, _how_ is this better than lying?" he shot back at Maddie quietly.

Her horror turned into a glower before she turned back to Lydia and her anxiety rose in her chest, fearing where else her stupid decisions may lead.


	34. Chapter Thirty Three: Walls

**A/N: This chapter was like running a mile after real life took over. Sorry about the wait! I've dedicated all of August to updating, so be sure to hold me to it! In return, enjoy some Staddie, some angst, and some creepiness!**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty Three: Walls**

_"The first time he'd held her hand, it felt so good that it crowded out all the bad things. It felt better than anything had ever hurt."_

_– **Eleanor and Park**, Rainbow Rowell_

* * *

Madeline did _not_ like the new plan. The _original_ plan was to go to the morgue, show Lydia the body of the boy who had been attacked, maybe do some feat of strength, and hope that was enough. The last thing Maddie wanted was to head to the outskirts of town to find a _real_ vampire. Unfortunately, as soon as Stiles had put on his turn signal to head to the hospital, Lydia had interrupted by telling them to keeping going forward.

Maddie had tried to argue it but Lydia had kept repeating the same thing over and over, more fervently each time. _"We have to keep going. We **have** to."_

Now, they traveled uneasily on the long strip of road out of town. Maddie was getting more and more worried about whatever was happening to Lydia and why she wasn't asking more questions.

"Stop the car," Lydia voice rang out, firm and authoritative – so much so that Maddie had vaguely forgotten that it hadn't been that long ago that she had made the same order. It was nearly identical.

"Seriously?" Stiles grumbled. "There's not even any-"

"Stiles." Maddie was too preoccupied with Lydia's expression. Fear. Horror. "Stop the car."

The car stopped reluctantly on the second command, just like it had weeks before. The difference lied in just how far out of town they were. In fact, they hadn't even reached the large green sign that signified that they were leaving. Instead, they were only a few feet away from where it stood. Lydia scrambled out of car first, alarming both Maddie and Stiles who followed quickly after.

Without the loud, choking sounds that regularly came from the engine of the jeep, the night fell into an unsettling silence. The forest that surrounded both sides of the road was so still, the rustle of leaves in the distance would have made Maddie jump. It was the type of silence that only seemed to fall just before...

"What? What is it?" Stiles asked, his voice nervous. If Maddie was paying closer attention, she might have wondered if he was addressing her or Lydia, who was taking measured steps in the direction of the large 'Now Leaving Beacon Hills' sign.

Maddie's only took one step towards the girl, alarmed but cautious. "Lydia?"

"Did you hear that?" Lydia breathed, her gaze fixed on the road ahead of her.

The slayer felt her stomach lurch as her nerves spiked. She closed her eyes and listened, trying to will her hearing to pick up something. _Anything._ Still, the unnerving quiet filled her ears. Alert and only a bit frustrated, Maddie turned to Lydia with a worried stare. "Hear what?"

The word that left the fair girl's mouth was the most unsettling of all. "Humming."

Again she began walking, taking careful steps past the sign to the center of the road. Stiles attempted to call out to her and move forward when Maddie caught his arm. When he turned back to her with an alarmed look, she only momentarily looked at him and shook her head. There was something Lydia could hear that they could not. There was something she was looking for. Maddie was torn between telling her to get back and allowing her to follow whatever she was hearing. What if it was important? What if it was something they needed?

She might not have understood what was happening, but interrupting might have been worse.

Suddenly the girl stopped after another few feet and looked down, appearing like an eerie silhouette against the moonlight. Slowly she bent down as close to the ground as possible and reached down. As she did, Maddie caught a glimpse of something dark and splotchy stuck to the pavement to the girl's right, just by the edge of the woods. The petite brunette swallowed as her heart began pumping rapidly. There was something familiar about a stain like that.

In a flash, Maddie rushed forward and knelt down beside the mark on the road. She thought she heard Stiles shout something but ignored it and she rubbed her index finger against the stain and it began to chip slightly. She held her breath for a moment and she turned over her finger to examine was came off.

Even when she squinted, she couldn't tell what it was. In one fluid motion, she pulled out her phone from her jacket and allowed it to flicker to life. Once it lit up, she pointed the light in the direction of her finger. She could hear her heart pounding in her ears. It was a dark red, almost brown. Dried blood. Beside it, off the road and in the dried mud, were tire tracks. She rubbed dried blood off her fingers and was about to stand when she finally heard something – although it certainly was not humming.

A low growl reverberated around them.

Maddie stood but just as she did, she saw another silhouette in the moonlight. One she did not recognize. In an instant, she grabbed the wooden stake from inside her jacket when she heard another growl from deep in the wilderness. And another from the other side of the road.

"Lydia, run!" Maddie shouted, her wild stare moving to the girl. Lydia stood there, standing again but frozen. In a matter of moments, shadows slunk out of the trees and into the light. First two, then three and four. They joined the figure in the center of the road. Maddie turned back to where Stiles had been but found him inching toward Lydia and reaching toward her. Out of sheer instinct, Maddie ran toward the two and stopped just in front of them, facing the hoard of creatures. "Get her and leave!"

"There's too many!" Stiles shouted back. "You-"

"Stiles! Get in the car and go! Now!"

"I'm not just gonna leave without you!"

_"I won't leave without her!"_

Maddie squeezed her stake tightly as she stayed rooted in her spot, shaking away the memory. In a split second, the monsters moved forward and Maddie felt a hand close around her wrist and tug hard. He was probably right. There were probably too many.

How many were there? That night in the alley? How many were slayed?

_Twin daggers spun gracefully in the air, slicing through dead flesh. Clouds of dust exploded in the air. Maddie ran forward, shouting._

A dozen. A dozen, at _least_. Could Maddie take a dozen on her own? Could she even take five on her own?

_The daggers fell to the ground splashing in a pool of rainwater and blood. Someone grabbed Maddie's wrists and shoulders. She fought against the grip, screaming into the now silent alley until her throat was raw._

And how many did it take to kill a slayer? Fear and rage gripped her suddenly as the question echoed in her head, repeating the answer over and over. _Only one._

She felt the irresistible urge to run forward, to fight all of them. She wanted them to pay. To suffer. _That's not how it works, kid,_ a familiar voice sounded in her head. Why did her voice of reason always sound like Xander? There was a truth in it though; someone else's vengeance was what turned her into this. This wasn't her.

She felt another hard tug at her wrist and knew it was Stiles, pulling her away from her thoughts and back into the present. There were two people behind her, unwilling to move. Two people who needed her help. They needed her to walk away from this.

The shadowed vampires growled again and Maddie shuffled a step back. "We have to run."

A larger vampire bellowed a roar as the slayer willed herself to spin around and push the two front of her to do the same as they ran to the car in a clumsy scramble. Maddie reached for the person closest to her, which was Lydia, and pulled her along to the car. She nearly shoved the girl into the car in a hurry and was about to follow her in when she noticed the driver side door had yet to be opened. Her breath caught in her throat as she turned to the door and looked beyond it to where they had run from.

In the center of the road and almost parallel to the road sign, Stiles was pulling himself up from the ground, visibly wincing in pain. Behind him, monsters with shadowed faces and bright yellow eyes were nearly bearing down on him. Maddie felt the urge to call out to him in fear, but the sound didn't come to her. Instead, even when she knew the monsters were closer to him than she was, she slammed the car door shut and ran.

Time seemed to move in slow motion and she couldn't get there quickly enough. And suddenly, she was pulled into the most horrible memory. She was going to be too late. She's always too late. As if he could feel it, he flipped onto his back, looking up at the creatures that had almost reached him in horror. He backed away only a few inches clumsily when it happened.

The closest vampire had reached out for him and its hand began to burn. The deformed woman screamed in pain and clutched her searing hand.

Maddie had finally reached Stiles and hooked her arm under one of his, pulling him to his feet. The frightened boy stumbled back a bit into her shoulder but Maddie was too preoccupied to notice. The five vampires where less than a foot from them and came no closer. Instead they glowered at the two and fell back into the shadows.

Maddie let out the breath she hadn't known that she was holding and cautiously walked Stiles back to the car, looking back every so often.

* * *

It had to have been a trick. There was no way they were alive.

The ride to the Argents was silent as Lydia stared wide eyed at her hands and Stiles flinched every time they hit a bump in the road. Maddie had strain her mind to figure out what had just happened and how it could have happened. There was no answer. Getting in the house was more awkward than she had hoped as both Chris and Victoria heard them enter. The slayer hadn't even tried to come up with a good excuse and instead shouted "studying" as the other two snuck up the stairs and closed the door behind them.

Now, they sat in the small space Maddie called her room, surrounded by stacked boxes that weren't even hers. Stiles was busy picking the gravel out of one of his hands as Maddie sat with her head in one hand and a warm, beige washcloth in the other and Lydia paced the length of the room.

"Vampires," was the first word that split through the silence and it had come from Lydia, who still sounded incredulous. _Skeptical_. Maddie stayed quiet for a long while, going through the order of events in her head over and over, looking for an answer. Again, she heard the increasingly frustrated sound of Lydia's voice. "Vampires!"

Two simultaneous shushes came from Maddie and Stiles. The slayer sighed and nodded. "Vampires."

Lydia took a deep breath and nodded, mumbling the word again only without the edge in her tone. She folded her arms and went back to pacing, this time at much easier pace.

On Maddie's right, she heard a sharp intake of breath and side-eyed the boy sitting next to her. He was wincing and looking down at his dirty, scratched up hand. She looked back down at the warm washcloth in her grasp and then back to Stiles. Hesitantly, as if she had to fight with her limbs to make them move again, she held out her free hand to him.

It took him a second to notice this and even still spent an inordinate amount of time looking between the outstretched hand and the girl it belonged to. Her expectant stare turned almost annoyed before his slightly bloodied hand reluctantly inched towards hers. To be fair, she was not known to be a particularly gentle person but she still felt a tad bit offended by the response – then again, she wasn't certain why. Sure, she had practically carried him to the jeep earlier, but now, with something so small, a tension formed.

The strangest thing happened, though.

Warmth. Not just from his hand; that would only make sense. Warmth in her chest, rising through her neck and to the back of her ears as soon as they made contact. His skin is a little rough (but less than she was ever used to) probably from practicing lacrosse and working on the jeep. Just rough enough to cause the tiniest bit of friction when his hand twitched, regardless of how slight - like electricity, but not. She _knew_ that feeling - that fire, that _spark_ \- but this...this was different. The alarming jolt she felt between her hand and Stiles' was new. It didn't hurt. It was like touching one of those electric blue plasma balls that sat next to the lava lamps in the mall. She didn't feel the shock; it was more like a warm, calming hum.

She didn't even realize at first that she had been holding her breath or that she had tensed. She could feel him looking at her and it's for that reason that she remained stoic - to the best of her abilities. Working to keep the hand that his was resting in still, she gently dabbed the cuts on his upward facing palm with the warm washcloth. He flinched a little but she did her best to ignore it. Too many things were far too easy to notice right now. It was better not to think about it. She had done this a million times when too many people than she could possibly count. Why was this time so different?

_It isn't_, she rationalized. _It isn't. It isn't. It isn't!_

She had to convince herself of that.

Taking the washcloth off of his hand, she took her other hand away as well. The humming was getting to be a little too much to handle. A punch to the face was looking like _less_ of a challenge. She shot him a glance for less than a second before focusing on the washcloth. "Did you need a bandage?"

"Nah, I'm fine. It's just a scrape."

_He almost died. I almost watched him die. _She stood up suddenly, ready to make a bee line for the bathroom. "You should put something on it-"

"Mads," he cut her off and her stare, hard again and as guarded as possible, met his which was softer and infuriatingly unreadable. There was concern there as he gave her a small, appreciative smile. "I'm fine. It's nothing."

There was a pause in her movements as she wrung the edge of the washcloth and gave a stiff nod. In the very next second, she did her best to walk calmly out of the room and to the bathroom, flicking on the light and closing the door softly. After wringing out the washcloth in the sink under hot water, she took a moment to look at it. Blood. Tiny specks of red dotted the sand colored cloth no matter how much she tried to squeeze them out.

She threw the washcloth into the hamper on the door and gripped the sides of the sink tightly, watching the water run still as steam surrounded it. It was too close. She was still play it in her brain on repeat, only with a different outcome. She wasn't fast enough. She was never, ever fast enough. She swore that she would never let this happen to someone she care about ever again and it almost did. The only reason it didn't was some force outside of her control.

When Lydia had gotten hurt, things spun out of control. She wouldn't sleep, she threw herself into training, and she kept seeing _her_. _Marie_.

If something had happened to Stiles...

Maybe she really wasn't ready for this. He was too close. _It's not **just** him._ Lydia was too close. They all were. She cared about them. They were a team.

_But if it had been Stiles..._ her thoughts crept up on her. It'd be like Marie all over again.

She shook her head violently. No. Nothing would ever be like that. No one would ever be that close, not again. _Never again._ A sharp pang of remorse and rage shot through her stomach, as if feeling the sharpness of a blade slice through her again.

Madeline's grip loosened on the sink and she slowly lifted the hem of her shirt, revealing a long, pale scar just under her ribcage in the mirror. Her thoughts turned bitter. Maybe this was Marie's plan all along, to make Maddie feel this alone. To take away everything. She touched the scar, struggling to remember the pain of the blade but remembering the hate and betrayal as if they had been the physical wound.

_Maybe this really is what she wants._ She shoved the thought away with one truth. Maddie's eyes raised up to meet her reflection's. They were nearly black and almost as empty as her chest felt.

"No," she said aloud, just above a whisper. _Marie can't want anything._ "Marie's dead."

She needed to say it so she could hear it. She needed to know that there was no way she could hear a dead girl's voice or see her in the halls at school. There was no way a dead girl could feel anything at all. She needed at least that. She needed to say it for the first time.

She tugged her shirt down and opened the door, turning the bathroom light back off. Once she made it back into the room, there were two concerned sets of eyes staring back at her. She frowned and muttered a nonchalant, "What?" as she closed the door behind her.

"Nothing," Stiles said, immediately receiving an expectant look from Lydia. He shot the strawberry blonde a wide eyed look before looking back at Maddie. "Well, not nothing. Something. We might have theory."

Maddie gave a silent nod, leaning against the wall.

"City limits," Lydia started simply, gaining a confused expression from Maddie. "It wasn't that they – th- the vampires didn't want to grab Stiles. They couldn't."

"The one that tried to grab me screamed, right?" Stiles added, not waiting for confirmation. "It was more than that though. Her hand was smoking, like – I don't know, like she put her hand on a hot stove and let it sit there for a while. Something blocked her."

"Something _hurt_ her," Lydia went on. "She barely touched whatever it was and it hurt her like..."

"Like whatever blocked them was consecrated," Maddie finished.

Lydia raised an eyebrow. "You're kidding. The whole holy water, crucifix, garlic legend is real?"

"The garlic thing's a little corny but yeah." Maddie shrugged. "All true."

"Anyway," Lydia interrupted with a frustrated sigh. "That happened right at the city limits, right by the sign almost down to the _inch_. They can't get in."

Stiles nodded, standing up. "It makes sense. The first time you asked me to drive you somewhere to patrol, we had to go out of town. Maybe there's something _stopping_ them from getting in."

"What about the other night in the club?" Maddie argued. "The guy that grabbed me had severe blood loss and puncture wounds."

"Was he a vampire?" Lydia asked.

Maddie exhaled loudly. "No, but-"

"The guy's name was Max Larson. My dad I.D.'d his car. There was blood all over the driver's seat," said Stiles, his tone solemn. "Maybe he was attacked and bled out on his way here."

"I don't know...it just doesn't seem-" Maddie cut herself off, as something flashed into her memory. Dried blood. Tire tracks. "Damn it."

"What?" the other two said in unison.

"Blood." Maddie rubbed her temples, closing her eyes. "There was dried blood not too far from some tire tracks. I don't know how long they might've been there."

"Was it in city limits or-" Stiles start before Maddie cut in again.

"It was a few feet past the sign... Outside of Beacon Hills." the slayer took a breath, recalling her face to face with the boy who died at her feet.

Lydia took a step toward Maddie, calling her attention. "You said he gave you a cryptic message, that they are going to take something." Maddie nodded and Lydia eyed her curiously. "Did he say anything else?"

Maddie shrugged. "Mostly just basic creepy stuff."

"Specifics, Maddie."

"Like..." Maddie sighed, rolling her eyes. "The mother and her son know something. They'll take it. My...my..."

"Your what?" Stiles asked, eyes wide. "Maddie?"

Any color on Maddie's face had drained as she pictured the boy – Max Larson – looking her dead in the eye and choking on his words. "_'Your wall will crumble...your beacon will burn._'"

Stiles looked from Maddie to Lydia and back. "So, something _is_ blocking them."

"But they know how to destroy it." Lydia shot Stiles a look before sending a more concerned one to Maddie. "They might know how to get in."

"Why else would there be a group of blood thirsty monsters waiting just outside of town?" Stiles asked.

"I think there were more than five," Lydia said suddenly, her stare becoming distant. Her eyes shut instantly and her eyebrows knitted together as if she were remembering something painful. "The humming...it kept getting louder. I..."

"You picked up something," Stiles began, caution etched in his town. "Lydia, what did you pick up?"

Her green eyes snapped open again, terrified as she stood frozen for a moment. After another moment her hand slowly reached in the pocket of her cardigan, shaking slightly. Another second passed and she pulled her hand out once again. Both Maddie and Stiles had taken a few steps forward, the three of them forming a tight circle while Lydia's closed hand raised up in the center.

"She was there. I don't know, I... She was waiting for us," Lydia whispered. There was another beat before her hand opened once again, revealing a small marble in her palm. Stiles, who had looked a bit closer, took a measured step back. Maddie, on the other hand, looked closer, realizing it wasn't a marble.

"Who was waiting for us?" she vaguely heard Stiles say as she picked up the tiny sphere.

"The mother," Lydia choked out.

Maddie raised the object to the light. A tiny, blue doll eye looked back at her.


	35. Chapter Thirty Four: Warped

**A/N: So yeah, I actually posted this on every site but here because I thought I already did. Sorry! Luckily, I'm almost done with the next chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty Four: Warped**

* * *

Madeline felt far too aware of the state of things at the moment.

One, as freaked out as Lydia was at the moment, she was astoundingly quick to catch onto things. She was sitting on Maddie's bed, flipping through the pages of an old book – one of the few the slayer had lugged with her. The Watcher's Diaries. Maddie didn't have an interest in any of those; she had never even cracked one open. She'd had enough of depressing stories about dead girls. Still, Lydia seemed to find herself engrossed.

Two, Stiles was gone. This was something she had been aware of for quite some time now, which bothered her immensely. Not the 'him being gone part' so much as her awareness of that. He had made a quiet exit after the house fell completely silent, rambling on about meeting up with Scott and Allison (all the while not giving any specific details), and rightfully so. After all, it was his turn to be guard Jackson. She would have offered to go as well, but Lydia did not show signs of leaving. In turn, she'd given her typical reply of 'call if there's an emergency', which he waved off. Gods, he was infuriating sometimes. All of the time. She withheld a frustrated grunt.

Three, the eye. That stupid eye that she had set on one of the blue plastic totes a few feet from her bed. It was a clear periwinkle blue, she noted, finding it staring at her again. Somehow it was always face her, which was even more perturbing when she was standing on the opposite side of the room and swore she set it down facing the other way. It was beginning to make her feel uncomfortable. Of all things to find in the middle of the road, why did Lydia have to find an eye?

"Hmph," Lydia scoffed, "Could've come up with a better name."

"Huh?" Maddie found herself saying aloud. "Better name for what?"

Lydia rolled her eyes dramatically and looked over at the brunette. "Watcher. It makes them sound like creepers." She casually flipped a page. "It doesn't help that most of them are old men, considering these girls are, I'm sorry, how old?"

"Like, sixteen?" Maddie paused. "Sometimes fifteen." More words leapt into her throat, the sudden urge to explain overcoming her. She couldn't leave it at that. "It's not like that, though. It's more..."

Lydia arched an eyebrow, something that did not go unnoticed by Maddie.

Maddie sighed. "More...parental."

"Parental?"

"Yeah."

"_It hath dawn'd upon myself that mine thoughts hast been consum'd with a deep longing f'r Vivienne, but the lady wilt nev'r see. Her calling is one beyond the triviality of human love._" As Lydia read the line, she mimicked a British accent - badly. She gave Maddie a smug smile. "So parental."

The slayer on the other hand felt a bit sheepish - not only for being proven wrong so quickly, but for reading something so personal. Regardless of how old it was, it was still intrusive. The council could've had the decency to strike anything like that from the records. She frowned a bit. "...It was a different time?"

"Please tell me that isn't your excuse," Lydia replied with a grimace but shook it away almost as quickly.. She flipped a few more yellowed pages, her eyes scanning over old cursive handwriting on every page. "And while we're talking about people_ consumed_ with deep longing..."

Maddie groaned at the words immediately as the strawberry blonde trailed off. The brunette strode over to the blue plastic bin and picked up the eye. She wasn't sure if it was to rear the conversation in a more productive direction or just to distract Lydia from talking about_ any_ type of longing. "We're really not, though."

"So, you and Stiles?"

The tiny glass eye slipped from Maddie's fingers as she gawked at Lydia. The moment she heard the tiny click of it hitting the wooden floorboards, she was on the ground rushing to grab it again. Luckily it hadn't gone far and the slayer found herself standing and straightening her shirt as casually as possible.

"What?" Maddie asked, even though it didn't sound like a question. It sounded more like an accusation.

Lydia raised her eyebrows but her eyes didn't leave the book. "Stiles. You know, the person you're practically attached at the hip to."

"Ugh, not you, too," Maddie found herself mumbling. It wasn't the first time someone had made such outrageous presumptions about her and Stiles. Periodically, it seemed to keep happening. From several different people.

"Wow, so you _really _don't know how bad that sounds, do you?" Finally, Lydia glanced up at the girl, her stare flat. "Oh, come on. It's obvious. There's a reason people keep saying it."

She was right. It was obvious. In fact, she found it popping back into her thoughts all night. She'd have loved to pretend that she didn't notice how often he was looking at her. How he'd wait after school to give her a ride home. How he'd get that dopey grin and start fumbling over words whenever they would spend more than a couple of minutes alone. The Wonder Woman book was warning; nearly _dying _because he was distracted by _looking _at her was a god damned flashing neon sign. "I know, okay? I know. He's not really subtle."

"Um, hello. I know this better than anyone. Believe me." Lydia laughed slightly as if she was almost endeared by it but then cleared her throat, suddenly laser focused on Maddie. "But I'm not talking about him so much as you._ You're_ obvious."

Maddie quirked an eyebrow as she sat the eye down, her plan having failed miserably. "I'm sorry, what?"

"_You_, Maddie, are completely obvious. You like him." She had put it so plainly that she made it sound like fact. There was no teasing tone like with Allison and no persistence like with Erica. Lydia must not have felt like she needed to. She was still wrong. Clearly.

The slayer crossed her arms and turned away, pacing toward the far wall lined with full cardboard boxes. She focused on the one that had a plastic tree branch poking out of it. She wondered for a second what Christmas was like at the Argents. She hadn't gotten the chance to celebrate."He's my friend. That requires a substantial bit of like."

"You know what I mean - and that wasn't a no."

"I think it was a pretty clear no." Maddie's voice was betraying her head; her annoyance was seeping through.

"Really? Then what's this?" Lydia asked. Maddie whirled around and her eyes grew wider as she stared at the woman fighting a dragon on the glossy book cover. "Because it looks like a comic book to me."

"Graphic novel." Why did she say that? Right. Xander. She hugged her midsection tighter. "Comics are thinner..."

"I don't care. Where did you get it from?" Regardless of her words, Lydia's tone wasn't mean, but more concerned. Maybe a little exasperated.

"Stiles," the name spilled from her mouth before she could catch it and reel it back in. Not that saying any other name wouldn't sound like a lie.

"Did you ask to borrow it?"

Maddie hesitated but begrudgingly spoke. "No."

"And do you _read _comics?"

"Kind of," Maddie lied. It sounded flimsy as she mumbled it and looked at the girl across the room from her giving her another disapproving look. The brunette kicked the floorboards lightly with the tip of her boot. "No, okay?"

"And what's this?" Lydia flipped through the pages until she reached some point in the middle, probably sometime after Diana took out Barry - she couldn't believe she remembered that - where there was a sliver of a piece of notebook paper.

"A bookmark. And that doesn't prove anything." The important part was not to reveal that it was the second time she was reading it through. "Look, can we _not _talk about this?"

Lydia rolled her eyes. "Fine, whatever. Do the whole 'denial' thing. You're just hurting yourself."

There was an uncomfortable thickness in the air for a long while, even after Allison walked through the door a half hour later. There was a moment where the look on the girl's face was shocked as she saw Maddie and Lydia sitting there, almost bantering. Like it was natural. Like they'd always been this way. It brought in another type of tension that the slayer could not pinpoint but she did her best to ignore it. It was broken only when Allison conspicuously had Lydia translate some Archaic Latin and claimed it was for a video game. Maddie had never been so glad to have the subject successfully change, until the Lydia gave the translation.

_The Kanima doesn't seek a friend. It seeks a master._

* * *

The next day felt like as much of a headache as the day before. Maddie had too much to think about, and everything seemed to keep stacking with no signs of slowing. She'd passed on lunch in the cafeteria and instead found herself sitting in front her locker, a half-eaten peanut butter protein bar in one hand and her phone in the other. She hadn't even realized until that morning that she needed to contact Xander and let him know exactly what was happening.

**Xander**『A wall? Like no vamps allowed unless invited type wall?』

『**Maybe? I don't know. What could cause that for a whole town?**』

**Xander** 『Nothing that I ever heard of. Thanks for the info, kid. We'll look into it, see what's going on. In the mean time, keep an eye on Killer Croc, alright? This Jackson guy might sound dangerous but whoever's holding his leash is the one you want.』

Maddie grimaced at the reference she didn't understand. It was probably from a comic book. Worse even, she wanted to know if it really was.『**How am I supposed to find someone who might be controlling this thing?**』

**Xander** 『From my experience? Keep an eye on any outcasty-types. And stay away from formal wear. Just saying.』

She huffed and put away her phone to finish the bland piece of food in her hand. Just as she lifted her vision, she saw a figure sitting against the lockers across from her, a phone in front of him, as if the boy had been reflecting her movements. She glared when she noticed who it was, his blue eyes meeting hers. He grinned.

"What are you doing?" Maddie asked, her voice almost a growl.

Isaac shrugged. "Sitting. Thought that was pretty obvious."

Maddie narrowed her stare on the boy. "Sit somewhere else."

"Hey, do you remember the day we met?" Isaac asked with a grin, ignoring her response entirely. The answer would have been no, right off the bat, and she was guessing that the boy already knew that. Time had passed so quickly and chaotically, that something as trivial as meeting a stranger in a cemetery wasn't something that had really stuck. She nearly felt guilty, but focused on her phone as she took a bite of her protein bar. Without missing a beat, Isaac continued with an almost bitter laugh. "You kept asking me these weird questions about open graves and missing bodies. The weird part wasn't even the question, though. It was how you asked it. Like it was...normal."

Maddie typed away furiously on her phone, not raising her head.

"Of course I told you not to worry about me. I mean, a cemetery is the safest place in the world. Everyone there's already dead." He leaned his head back against the lockers, which Maddie just barely caught out of the corner of her eye. His stare was focused on the ceiling, like he had found his words somewhere up there as he spoke again. "And do you know what you said?"

She didn't answer. This part, she knew; she had been told it a millions times over. It played on a loop in her head.

"'Safe' is a warped point of view. And it didn't really get me thinking until recently..." Isaac continued, his words slow as if he'd had them chosen for a while and had to pluck them out of his head. "So I asked Derek a few things. Like what a slayer is."

"Oh?" Maddie interjected, an air of annoyance in her tone as her eyes flickered back to the boy across the hall from her.

"Can't say I'm all that surprised after I heard about the dead guy in the club. But still..._vampires_." There was a pause just before he smirked. "I wonder if they're really our arch enemies. If I'll see one and want to tear its head off."

"Y'know, Isaac," Maddie drawled, a surge of irritation coursing through her. "Full moon's coming, right? Go find some and see. Get that aggression out. God knows we'll all be better for it." The shrill bell overhead rung in her ears and she clumsily got to her feet. She didn't turn back to him as she started walking off but kept speaking. She wasn't stupid. She knew he would follow - not for their enthralling conversation, but because he was probably tasked with gathering information. "In fact, bring your friends. Make my life easier."

"So, the whole loner thing not going too well? Been there." He was at her side, strolling along, with not an ounce of real concern in her tone. "I mean, if we could set aside our differences, you could have a whole pack on your side."

As students poured out from opposite ends of the hall, Maddie stopped in her tracks at the sentiment given to her. She faced the boy who had stopped rather abruptly as well. The look in his eyes couldn't even be masked. Maybe part of the boy concerned but he was too busy vying for someone else's approval. For a moment, she pitied him but didn't allow it to surface. "I'm not a _wolf_. I don't need a _pack_ \- especially when it's Derek's."

"Then what do you call Scott and Allison and Lydia?" asked the beta, his expression more curious than smug - but not void of either. Maddie felt her fist clench involuntarily and stretched out her fingers again, shaking the sensation away. She didn't call them anything half of the time; she didn't know _what_ to call them. The term friend still felt like throwing salt into a fresh wound. She rolled her eyes at the question, spun on her heel, and strode away as Isaac stayed in his spot."What do you call Stiles?"

Her footfalls stopped, even though she attempted to will them to keep going. It was too late. Her stomach knotted and her flat expression became a frown as she turned back. "You want to help so bad? Take your little pack to the outskirts of town and work through some demons." She didn't allow him to reply and walked off without a second glance. "Let me know how it goes."

Maddie took a deep, calming breath but still felt tense. She was getting really sick of people asking her about Stiles.

She should have been heading to class after that - and she was - but the next thing that happened rerouted her completely.

One, there was a crash in the distance - something loud and boisterous. Glass breaking. Metal hitting metal.

Two, at the other end of the hall, she saw a bolt of dark hair and green. Hadn't Scott been wearing a green sweatshirt that morning?

He was running to something, and fast than usual. It could've realistically been for any reason but she could only think of one reason that Scott would be running toward something fast enough to be little more than a blur.

_Allison._

Without a second thought, Madeline took off sprinting as well, trying to keep up with the boy with much effort and little luck. It typically didn't take so much to keep Scott's pace, but she allowed the thought to pass. She didn't even notice the people staring at the two running; there were more important things at hand.

Maddie rounded a corner just a second after Scott did, finding the boy gone and door to the boys' locker room swinging shut just ahead. The slayer barreled through the door as well, her eyes meeting with curious sight - of course, curious was certainly an understatement.

Allison was in the center of the room she had enters, her fists balled and her body poised in a defensive stance. She didn't even notice the two walk in at first - she was far too busy glowering at the wet and very nude boy on the ground. Around him were shards of mirror and ceramic, while just above him was exposed piping spouting out water and broken tile from the wall. The mirror just above that was shattered, as what remained spider-webbed out in cracks. Maddie's vision went back to the boy on the ground as he got up, his blue eyes shocked and frightened. It was _Jackson_. More importantly, he could barely push himself up.

Maddie swiveled back to Allison, who's hard, cold glare had softened and turned aghast. Her arms lowered and she turned to Scott and Maddie who looked on, utterly baffled. Before the girl could speak, Jackson was back on his feet, pulling his shorts on and charging at Allison, whose attention shot over to the kanima instantly. There wasn't even a beat.

Although, for Scott and Maddie, there definitely was. It took them a brief moment to bound in between the two. Scott threw Jackson out of the locker room altogether while Maddie grabbed Allison by the waist from behind. This didn't seem like a spectacular plan though, as Allison struggled to get out of the other girl's grip, resulting in a hard elbow cracking Maddie in the jaw. Maybe it was the massive amount of force or maybe it as the shock of it, but the blow caused Maddie to let go of the girl and stumbled back through the locker room door.

She gently touched her jaw, a sharp ache shot from it. It felt like it was going to swell, maybe even bruise. _That's impossible._

The slayer looked up to see a stunned Allison staring at her and gaping, even as Erica and Stiles had rushed in between Jackson and Scott, even as Mister Harris strode up and started shouting at them.

Allison Argent did not have a remarkable amount of strength.

She could not send something like a kanima flying into a wall. She couldn't take it down without any weapons.

She couldn't hit a vampire slayer so hard that they would stumble back, that they would bruise.

Something felt off, like the universe shifted without giving Maddie notice.

Even worse, something felt _wrong_.

* * *

_"There's only supposed to be one. Maybe that's why you and I can never get along. We're not supposed to exist together."_  
-Faith Lehane, _End of Days_, **_Buffy the Vampire Slayer_**


	36. Chapter Thirty Five: Colliding

**A/N: So, remember how Maddie is a teenage girl? Because sometimes I think she forgets that. Why do I bring this up? Well, wouldn't you like to know...Anyway! You get a little of everything in this one! A little Scooby Gang, a little Staddie, a little of the big bads, everything! Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty Five: Colliding**

* * *

"So, what was that?" Erica asked.

Maddie looked from the bookshelves to the light brown irises of the girl to her right. "What?"

The girl's shoulders shrugged inside her leather jacket. "I didn't think slayers would have glass jaws."

"We don't," Maddie said quickly, eyes narrowing before she looked away. She sounded too defensive and she knew it. If it had been the Erica from a few months ago, she might've even apologized. "I was caught off guard. That's it."

In the very next moment, Maddie instinctively turned toward Erica, grabbing the fist that was rushing toward her. Erica quirked an eyebrow. "_That's _being caught off guard?"

Maddie let go of the fist with a small shove, clenching her jaw. Without snapping back with a reply, she continued to shelve books, one after the other - but now much sloppier. She just wanted to leave. She wanted to get away from these people, all of them. There was never a break, a reprieve from the strange occurrences or the questions. She heard more whispers a few rows down and something inside her snapped. She spun around to look at Erica again. "Why do you even care, huh?"

"Maybe I'm making sure I don't get taken out," Erica drawled, not looking over or changing her pace. Maddie noticed the girl's side glace after a moment. "Maybe I'm making sure you don't get taken out either."

"Since when was that one of your priorities?" Maddie crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. "What would Derek say?"

Erica's gaze shot over to Maddie in an instant, eyes blazing. "In case you haven't been noticing, Isaac and I have been trying to save your ass for weeks. And all you can do is accuse us because we didn't want to be _helpless_ anymore. Do you even know what that feels like?"

A grim look cast itself over Maddie's features, her mind hearing the same words on repeat. The same god damn words from almost everyone she'd tried to help. They didn't know. How could they? How could any of them possibly know what it was like having so much strength and _still_ knowing that there was nothing you could do to save anyone you ever cared about? She glared over at Erica, her eyes cold and bleak. "Of course I do."

"Then maybe you just don't remember anymore." The slayer could see the blonde's jaw tightening. "I didn't want a protector. I wanted a _friend_. That's it. But you can't imagine seeing me as an equal, even now. I don't know why I tried."

The anger on Maddie's face sank away, leaving the shadow of shock and pain. Her mouth was slack for another moment before she closed it and turned away. She couldn't even force herself to apologize. Even if she had been able to, it would've been promptly interrupted by the rumble of books falling to the floor. The slayer paused, noting the unsettling silence before it was followed by more rumbling, although it seemed much louder. She turned her head to Erica, brows furrowed. "Did you hear that?"

* * *

He let his coffee sit for too long.

One of the worst things about researching, in Xander's opinion was when he'd shovel out the money for a decent cup of joe and he'd be too busy looking at old books to drink it.

Then again, he wouldn't have needed it if Terra, one of the older girls, hadn't been bugging him all night about a lousy Bohg'dar demon terrorizing her campus and whether or not they might eat the faces of twenty-something-year-old law students. He didn't even know what the heck a Bohg'dar demon was (and when he found out, he wished he still didn't).

Headquarters was lively enough to keep him up, though. He could hear nothing but idle chatting from the floor above him and grunts and thuds of training below. Around those parts, it typically felt as if there were no time to sleep and that was being made abundantly clear at the moment.

Luckily, in the office area he currently sat in, he was alone. He wasn't sure he could deal head on with a bunch of hyperactive, chatty slayers on no sleep - which was precisely why he groaned with his head in his hand when he heard someone enter.

"Occupado," he said, his voice gravelly from exhaustion.

"Hey, what did we say about claiming the whole computer room?" a soft, slightly nasally woman's voice replied with a calming familiarity. What was also familiar though, was the tightness in her tone that made the man worry all over again.

He spun his chair around and used his one good eye to glance at the worried expression of his best friend. "Will! What's goin' on?"

The red head ignored the question and pulled up a chair at the computer next to the plethora of aged tomes. Her pale fingers began racing across the keyboard as her anxious green eyes stayed focused on the screen. There was a tenseness, a nervousness, in her movements, like he hadn't seen in years. Of course, this seemed to alert him more than the coffee possibly could have.

"Okay, you're freaking me out a little bit." He sat up straight and leaned closer to the woman beside him, reading over her shoulder. An email window was opened and she was already a paragraph in.

_...There's been a disruption, a huge one. I don't know what it is though. A crack? A tear? I felt something that I haven't felt since Su_

She had stopped typing completely, her fingers frozen on the keys, and took a deep breath before she turned to her friend. "Okay, here it goes: I think something bad's happened. I was just meditating and...something grabbed me. And I don't know what. I wanted to contact the coven in England just for some confirmation, I guess."

Xander still seemed more curious than worried. "Can't be that bad, right? I mean, you haven't had to contact your old coven since after-"

"Yeah," Willow said with a bit of emphasis. "That's kinda the problem."

Xander seemed a bit taken aback. It had been almost nine years since she'd gone to an outside source for help. They didn't really need to, after all. They had an army. Nothing was that bad that they couldn't handle it. He turned completely toward her with a sigh and spun her chair around to face him. Her eyes were wide and still horror-struck as she looked at him. He gently put his hands on her shoulders, searching for a way to calm her. "Hey, whatever's happening, we got this. When there's trouble we can handle it. That's kind of out thing."

"Trouble's definitely a-brewin'," she said, sounding withdrawn. "The brew just hasn't been this big in a while."

The man in front of her shrugged his broad shoulders. "Let's start at the beginning, okay? Have you tried to meditate since?"

"I don't know about you, but when I'm manhandled by the universe, I'm a little iffy on letting it happen again."

"We gotta start somewhere, right?" Xander answered, confidently. "Besides if the universe gets grabby again, you'll show 'em who's boss. I mean, you're Willow freaking Rosenberg. The cosmos doth tremble at your presence."

Willow smiled slightly and exhaled a long breath. She took a brief look at her email before she stood up and moved her chair. After a moment's pause, she turned to Xander again. "Okay, but just in case? You should probably hide, preferably behind something heavy and bolted to the floor."

* * *

Lights were exploding from above and roars sounded from behind her and a few rows down.

That's when she felt something sharp slice across the back of her neck.

And it felt like a limb going to sleep, only now it was her entire body all at once. She crumbled to the ground in a heap moments before Erica did. She landed face down her head slightly facing the blonde only feet away.

The kanima screeched above them as the whole room shook and bookshelves came tumbling down.

Then, something even more horrifying happened. Erica started convulsing violently on the floor. She'd been frozen by terror the day in the gym and swore she would let that happen again. She swore to herself that she would follow the same steps Allison did that day and she would help. That's what she's supposed to do, right? Help people?

All the while, there she was, feet away from the blonde, watching helplessly. Frozen.

She couldn't even cry out for someone.

That was when she saw someone turn the corner and stop, although she could only see their feet. They shouted and knelt down beside Erica and Maddie felt a bit of relief wash over her when she saw that it had been Stiles. She noticed two other pair of feet a bit farther away just before he cradled Erica's shaking form and shouted, "I think she's having a seizure!"

As Scott rushed over, Stiles looked over at Maddie, who looked back at Erica and tried to speak but it came out as nothing but a whimper.

"She'll be okay," Stiles began. "We'll help her. I swear."

Erica kept repeating that she had to go to Derek as the boys spoke. Scott ran back over to a voice that Maddie presumed was Allison on the other side of the shelf on closest to them. When he returned, he picked up Erica, and looked over at Stiles. "Can you help Maddie up?"

Stiles nodded quickly and clumsily rushed over to the brunette still on the ground. "I just want you to know I'm sorry in advance for this."

She wanted to ask why but it was made painfully clear when he threw her arm around his neck and fumbled a bit while trying to scoop her up as easily as Scott did with Erica. In the process, Maddie's forehead collided with the side of the wooden shelf.

"You're gonna kill me for this and I've come to terms with that."

Once she was finally off of the ground and Stiles had started moving, they were soon speeding out of the library.

In hindsight, she regretted not asking whether or not kanima venom also came with sensory loss along with the all of the victim's motor functions - because she was now keenly aware that it did not. It was even more troubling that she had to find out like this, being carried around bridal style, leaning completely on some guy-

_It's just Stiles. Get it together._

\- and being overloaded by all of her senses at once. There was no way around it either. She would breathe and the smell of laundry soap and spearmint gum would flood her nose. Not just that though. He sort of smelled like the inside of his jeep - or maybe his jeep just smelled like him, only less so. Like the woods and exhaust and something else she couldn't quite pinpoint. Of course, that sense wasn't the least bothersome. If anything, it was a distraction from the more troublesome ones.

He was _warm_. The whole right side of her face was leaning against his chest and his arms were wrapped around her and the first thing that popped into her head was that he was warm. This knowledge, though, seemed to be a mixture of comforting and anxiety-inducing. Maybe it was the lack of human contact she's had lately.

Heightening both of those feelings was what she was hearing, even over his feet hitting the linoleum one after the other. Breathing. Well, sort of. Wheezing, mostly - and a loud, rapid thumping behind that. He was freaking out - which she understood, but it still worried her more than she wished it would.

She was so preoccupied with her sensory overload that she didn't even realize at first when they made it outside or that her toes had been nervously curling and uncurling in her boots.

It was a relief when she was set down in the passenger side seat of the jeep (and buckled in like a child, which brought her annoyance rushing back). Her body leaned heavily against the window of the car as she heard Scott say something from the backseat, where he kept Erica propped upright. She didn't catch it though, as her thoughts rushed back to Erica - both her words from earlier and her current state.

She tried to focus back on her toes moving instead.

The car stopped after another few minutes, although it felt like at least an hour.

Scott had already bolted out, presumably with Erica, as Stiles opened the passenger side door and unbuckled the seatbelt clumsily. As he tried to pull her out of the car to pick her up again, Maddie managed to shove herself away weakly, even though it meant that she had stumbled to the dirt.

"I'm fine," she said, but it came out mumbled. Her limbs felt as if they were moving in slow motion as she attempted to stand but fell to her knees again.

"God, you're stubborn," Stiles muttered as he threw her arm around his neck and heaved her into a standing position and began walking. "I'm trying to help you, you know that?"

They slowly limped into the warehouse that was almost pitch black inside and smelled a bit like burning tires. Once they found the train car that Scott, Derek, and Erica were in, Stiles set Maddie down on the ground against the wall and rushed over to the others a few feet away. After a few long minutes, Maddie heard Erica scream over and over again and it felt like a jolt to her nerves and she tried lifting herself up to little avail. She could hear Erica breathing normally again even though she couldn't see much from where she was.

She did hear something though; Erica was speaking quietly.

"Stiles...you make a good Batman."

Something in Maddie's stomach churned painfully, but not in a way she would describe as bad. Nervous and grateful, maybe, but not all bad. Perhaps a bit worried that it didn't feel bad. She struggled to lift the corners of her lips in a sign of relief and gratitude, because, honestly, she couldn't help but agree Erica.

* * *

It'd been a while since Buffy had problems getting to sleep, or at least more than usual. Maybe that's why she was still trying to get some shut eye in the middle of the day. It just felt like...like something was eating at her. Like something was trying to catch her attention but she wasn't sure what. Whatever it was though, it had led her up to the sleeping quarters of the younger girls.

The bunks were quiet these days - but not for the lack of girls, weirdly enough.

Most of the girls didn't really get along now, though. Sure they talked to each other, but as coworkers, not friends. The kinship had fallen away almost entirely; most of them had either a group of friends outside of headquarters or just didn't make friends. Death had a way of doing that to a person though.

Still, she missed the noise, the chatting, the fighting. It brought life to the place. It made Buffy miss Xander's group a little bit. Well, a whole lotta bit. _What'd they call themselves? The 'a' squad?_

She missed Emery and her bossiness - not to mention the girl's eye for style. She missed Terra's sarcasm and ability to make a room full of people buckle at her negotiating skills. She missed Nora's bad jokes and obnoxiously loud laugh that would wake up the whole room. She missed Madeline's kindness and almost _constant_ questions. She missed Marie's unwavering optimism.

The bed sank a little when she sat down on the stripped bed. It had been that way for nearly a year and counting. In fact, more and more bed were becoming empty as time lurched forward - and all for different reasons. Some girls ran away, some moved on to bigger and better lives, and some...well, they died. Came with the calling.

The small, blonde woman felt a jolt of anger though. It sounded so casual when death was never, ever casual or to be taken lightly. They weren't incredibly often, but she was sure there was even some girl on the other side of the world fighting for her life with powers she probably never wanted. Every death was a result of a decision she made _for_ those girls because they never had the choice. Buffy hadn't either, but did that make it alright?

It was the constant argument she had with herself, even though she would've made the same call every time; she would've still known that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. There was no other way.

Not everyone would agree.

Her hands curled around the edge of the bare mattress as she looked over at the bed across from it. It still had its sheets - thin burgundy ones - but they were dusty. Typically, they would keep the sheets on the bed only if they knew the girl who left them there was coming back. Still, the owner of the bed had left almost everything else bare, save for a frame on the nightstand.

It was understandable; the wound was still too fresh. Buffy might've done the same once upon a time.

She gingerly picked up the frame, the picture inside peering back at her. Two girls with wide smiles looked back at her. Maddie seemed happier than she'd ever been as she looking into the camera, leaning toward the blonde girl beside her slightly. Marie was looking at Maddie with the most genuine smile Buffy had ever seen the girl have. She didn't even know when the picture was taken, honestly.

Probably before Nora went missing. Definitely before they relocated to San Francisco.

Maddie never liked it here, or at least that's what Xander had told her. Buffy hadn't even noticed, but that was mostly because she'd decided not to. Marie apparently loved it; it almost seemed fitting that it was the last place she ever lived.

It was like a shot to the gut, that night. Buffy was the last to get there; she was the one who had to carry the body out of the alley and that was when she realized just how much she missed when she made the decision to put space between her and the other slayers. She was the person who ripped those girls from their families and she couldn't even be that much to them. It was no wonder that Maddie loathed her.

God, how that girl would cling to her in those first few year...it even hurt a little when she started avoiding her altogether. She abandoned a little girl who had no one left. Part of the shell that was created the night Marie was murdered was her fault too. She had spent so much time building herself up as a general that she forgot what it was like in times of peace.

And now here was a framed moment that would never happen again.

As she set the frame back down on the nightstand, she heard a shrill scream that snapped her out of her thoughts. Her head shot up and she was on her feet and running in no time at all, rounding corners and bounding through thresholds.

Her feet led her to the computer lab, as sparks flew from exploding lightbulbs over head. The room sank into darkness, the only light coming from a lone computer at the other end of the room.

"Buff! Look out!"

The slayer turned toward Xander's voice, seeing a black-eyed Willow walking toward her. Without a moment's pause, her friend was right in front of her and sent her flying into a far wall with one backhand. The blonde had hit her head hard enough that her vision faded in and out for a second or two before she was picked up by the throat and hoisted up high enough that her feet couldn't touch the ground.

**_"Slayer."_**

This wasn't Willow. The voice that came out of the redhead's mouth was deep and menacing and the strength it called upon was more than even Buffy could fight against. Xander tried rushing over to help but was met with a shove so hard from Willow's free hand that he was sent crashing into a table.

**_"You're too late. There is another."_**

Buffy felt herself choking as she struggled against Willow's grip on her neck.

**_"This world is cracked. She is not one of us. Balance must be restored. Find her. Find the other."_**

The blackness in Willow's gaze drained to reveal her eyes as they were before and her grip on Buffy's throat fell away as they both collapsed to the ground. Buffy coughed violently as she rubbed the purple mark around her neck and looked over at her friend who was breathing heavily. "Buffy...Buffy, I...I'm sorry..."

Buffy cautiously went over to Willow and gently touched her arm. "It's okay. We're okay," she said as she caught sight of Xander standing again unsteadily. "What happened?"

"A whole lot of not good," Willow muttered. "Something's happened."

"What? What's going on?" Buffy's eyebrows furrowed worriedly. "Is it a demon? A possess-y demon?"

Willow shook her head slowly and swallowed. "That wasn't a demon...i-it was the first slayer. She was trying to tell me something's gone wrong. The slayer line, it's..."

Buffy could feel the color drain from her face as her eyes widened at her friend. She didn't speak as she thought back to earlier and her strange feeling. She thought to what Willow was saying while she was possessed. Her mouth became a thin line and her jaw clenched.

Willow looked her in the eyes, horror and worry in her green gaze. "Buffy...there's a new slayer. Another girl was chosen."

* * *

He could feel the dirt rising from the ground, twisting and winding around him, urging him forward. Lilith stood behind him a few steps, her dirty blonde hair covering most of her face as her lips formed a wide, cheshire cat smile. They had been dreaming of this day.

_"B__eati qui semet igni__,_

_beati qui honorem illi veteres__..."_

He dropped to his knees, his face hidden under his straw fedora hat and his hands holding handfuls of dry earth for only a moment before allowing it to slip through his fingers slowly. His grey eyes watched as the metal 'Welcome to Beacon Hills' sign swayed slightly in the breeze.

_"Cineribus patrum nostrorum causabunt in igne sancto,_

_et in illo igne accenderentur elegit ambulabo in coelestem paradisum..."_

The wind howled like a dying wolf and he smiled through his thick, dark beard to the heavens that shined down on him, lighting the darkness.

_"Beati qui negavit salutis,_

_ut veteribus discreparit permisit eos ,_

_transitus trans muros hos instauraretis!"_

In that instant, the wind stopped and silence consumed the empty stretch of road. Lilith's bright blue eyes grew large as the Father grasped at another handful of dirt and stood again, dusting off his dark brown slacks with his free hand. His other hand that was balled into a fist opened slightly and a thin stream of dirt slipped from it slowly.

"Ashes to ashes," he murmured and turned to the pale girl behind him with another smile. "Dust to dust."

Once the dirt ceased, he took a step closer to the sign that mocked them. He raised his hands, palm facing the barrier he was so familiar with and he moved them toward it. For a moment, he touched the cool metal and laughed loudly and hysterically. _Eight long years._ In the next moment, his skin finally began to burn again and he jolted back.

_It will work. It **will** work. Our time...has come. _His laughter became more boisterous. "Hallelujah!"

He cackled on and on and Lilith smiled, clapping her hands together in glee. The sounds echoed on and on into the night.


	37. Chapter Thirty Six: Revelations

**A/N: Relatively short chapter, I suppose. The last part literally took me weeks to write. Also, try not to hate me too much for what's about to happen. Anyway, happy NaNoWriMo! Enjoy~!**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty Six: Revelations**

* * *

Maddie stumbled through the Argent's front door, feet feeling abnormally heavy still. She could at least use all of her motor functions again, which was an improvement, but the sound that echoed from the entrance still sounded like something had crashed through - enough to make her cringe at the noise. Stiles had offered to walk her in but she had been adamant that he not be seen by Allison's parents. Besides, she still had a lot to process and being alone seemed to make that process go a bit faster. Of course, now that she was collapsed on the floor, she was beginning to second guess that.

She'd been hoping that the house would be empty, but when she saw Victoria rush in, she groaned. There was no look of concern on the woman's face, but instead severe annoyance. It was as if Maddie could've been bleeding out on the floorboards and older woman would've chastised her for the mess. Still, the Argent matriarch walked over to the slayer, examining her for a moment. It took a bit but Victoria grabbed the girl's upper arm and hoisted her up without a word.

In fact, Maddie was dragged all the way to her room without so much as a snide remark. When she was dropped onto her thin mattress, Victoria roughly turned girl's head and moved her hair, examining the back of her neck and sighing. Out of the slayer's peripheral, she could see the woman's knowing look fade when she did a double take. She was squinting at something on the back of Maddie's neck, perhaps near her collarbone. Like she recognized something terrifying. Victoria's bright blue eyes went from whatever she saw to Maddie's face and she frowned.

"You weren't in the library with Allison."

"Allison can take care of herself." Maddie sounded so bitter as she said it.

"Were you with the wolves?"

"I-"

"Don't. _Lie_."

Maddie glared at the woman who was returning the sentiment. "And if I was?"

She could see Victoria grit her teeth before speaking again. "Why are you doing this? _Why_ did you stay?"

"Because this town was in danger," Maddie said without a moment's pause. She gingerly touched the wound on the back of her neck. "And save the idle threats. I'm not leaving."

"_You're_ the danger. You've _brought_ more trouble than you're worth!" Victoria's voice raised in a mixture of anger and, perhaps, sadness. "You'll fail like all the others. You'll be dead. Your friends will be _dead_. Tell me, will your little crusade be worth it then?"

It was like the voice in the back of her brain had been given a face. Like her fears and memories had taken shape. Every single thing Allison's mother had said had haunted her from the day she had gotten to Beacon Hills. And for a moment, she was about to say no. At the same time, there was something that wouldn't allow her to get the word out. Instead, she swallowed the lump it formed in her throat and forced a nod. "It has to be... why else would I be chosen for all of this?"

Something in that answer seemed to lower Victoria's rage and resolve, as if she hadn't been expecting a response like that. The shock from the answer seemed more like she had been physically slapped. Then, surprisingly, the woman began to leave. She had turned on her heel and headed for the door when, just before she was about to close it, she turned to Maddie with her stoic gaze. "Goodnight, Madeline."

Confused but too tired to ask anything further, she nodded just before the door was shut.

Maddie sighed and flopped backwards onto the bed. Never mind that she hadn't changed yet or hadn't locked the door like she tried to do every night still; she was too tired to do more than kick her boots off of her feet and wrap herself in the bunched up comforter.

* * *

It may have been minutes or hours but it wasn't long before Maddie was startled awake by a knock at the door. She sat straight up in bed and gave herself little time to adjust her vision or awareness before asking, "Who is it?"

The door creaked open slightly and, from the pitch black hallway, a familiar voice replied, "It's Stiles. Can I come in?"

She groaned quietly, slightly annoyed by the interruption, but nodded all the same. "...Sure, yeah."

Stiles tiptoed in the room and shut the door behind him as gently as he possibly could before walking to the far side of the room where Maddie's bed was, which was only illuminated by the moonlight from the window across from it. He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his sweatshirt and looked as if there were three separate times he wanted to say something but didn't.

Maddie rubbed her eyes, which were still trying to focus on the boy standing a foot or so away. She was partially worried at whatever he was there for, at what couldn't even wait until morning. She was also partially irritated, considering the fact that she had been sleeping a bit better lately and now that was being interrupted for an entirely new reason. She glanced up at him, noting that he was still watching her worriedly, about as worried as he had when he dropped her off earlier that night.

"You doing alright?" was what he ended up asking.

She rolled her eyes but nearly smiled despite herself. It was nice that someone was so worried for her, actually. Comforting, even. "I'm fine, Stiles. All limbs are fully functional again, I swear."

"Good!" he said a little too quickly, nodding a little too vehemently. "That's, ah...yeah, good."

Maddie blinked slowly and raised an eyebrow as silence engulfed the room. Not a comfortable silence either; no, the air had become tense and thick, like their words were hanging in the air, taking up space. The slayer looked around and back to him. "Is that it?"

"Uh, yeah. I guess," he replied with more than a little hesitation. He had started back away and even turned around and made it to the door when she heard him release a frustrated breath and stomp back over. He promptly sat at the edge of her bed right next to her, a bit too close for comfort. "You know what? No, it's actually not."

He was facing her, his gaze filled with such intent, that she shrank back a little - but only a little. It felt like all of the air had been sucked out of her at once. The room was dark still and she couldn't see much of his face but she could still see his eyes, which seemed darker and more frantic than usual. Also, much closer than usual - that was something she was very aware of. Caught off guard by the sheer suddenness of his movements and his proximity, her breath had caught in her throat. "What are you doing?"

Her voice sounded so soft and frail when she spoke, which even surprised her. It also seemed to infuriate her. _How dare he?_ He had no right to be that close to her. He had no right tear down that wall she built around herself. It was a very nice wall. It kept her safe. She was thinking of decorating it eventually.

"Mads, can you promise me something?" he asked, although his voice was lower and quieter than before. For whatever reason, it made a chill run up her spine. Perhaps it was only the way he was speaking to her. Perhaps it was that he seemed closer than before. Or maybe it was the fact that his stare kept drifting from her eyes to her mouth.

"What?" she vaguely heard herself say. It was almost like she could see the whole scene from the outside. She could see herself getting all doe-eyed and helpless and she could see him being nervous and unsure of himself.

"Just...don't freak out, okay?" was the last thing that spilled from his lips as he closed the small distance to meet hers.

Everything felt fuzzy and hazy, but she could feel a warmth exploding in her chest as she moved her mouth against his, but with more pressure and maybe more desperation. Like she was holding on for dear life, but maybe even letting something go. It was a black hole being created where her body once was; like she was imploding in on herself and exploding out at the same time. Like being nothing at all, but also like her nothing and his _everything_ were battling each other. She felt like she was about to burst into tears - both sad and happy ones.

Something was off though. Something felt wrong.

She..._wanted_ this. Hell, she hadn't even realized she wanted this until now, but that wasn't what felt wrong about it. It didn't feel real. It again felt like she was on the outside looking in. There was no warmth, no electric humming. It was like no one was there.

Almost like it wasn't happening at all.

* * *

Her eyes snapped open as her alarm clock sounded from her nightstand and she stared at the ceiling. Moments again, she had been staring at Stiles, she had been... Her mind was clearing and it made her stomach do a somersault as she thought back to what had clearly been a dream.

She had..._kissed_ Stiles. She had _wanted_ to kiss Stiles. _Stiles Stilinski._ Well, technically, that wasn't true. It was a dream. If anything, that kiss was what had alerted her to the fact that she was just dreaming it all up. She'd kissed someone before; there was a clear difference. Loads more senses being used, like touch and smell and taste...

She wasn't about to think about it. She didn't want to, anyway. It was her subconscious giving her these nonsensical ideas; it was probably a result of stress. It was just her _subconscious_ that was literally making her think about kissing him as she laid there, staring at the ceiling. She couldn't even get the image out of her brain now. _Everything_ kept leading back to it. She growled loudly and grabbed the pillow from under her head, placing it over her face.

She groaned from under her pillow and squeezed her eyes shut, pushing the images away. There were much more important things she had to deal with at the moment.

She just had to focus and remember what they were.

* * *

Buffy rolled her sore shoulder again, a little annoyed that it still ached.

After her not-so-pleasant experience the night prior, she had made it a point to try and get some sleep. Well, sort of. Really it was Xander and Willow that made it a point for her to get some sleep. Then again, there was no sleeping with the news she received only hours before.

_A girl was chosen._

**_Another_**_ girl was chosen._

Sure, girls were chosen all the time anymore. The moment they're born, they're slayers - that was the deal. That was the price they paid now. Still, this was completely different than any other time. This grated against all of her senses, like a pressing the wrong puzzle piece into the only open spot. Whoever was chosen pushed their way in, forcing their way through something they couldn't possibly fathom. Buffy couldn't even imagine who would want that life. Still, now the girl in question was one of them, a slayer. Now, they just had to find her.

The blonde found herself walking up three flights of steps in an older brick building, grumbling about the smell of mold in the walls. Willow had called it earthy, but Buffy knew what her friend was really calling it was 'affordable'. It was difficult to find a decent apartment in the Bay Area as it was, but, even worse, it was outrageously expensive. The only reason they had a headquarters in the heart of the city was because she had taken a page out of her ex's book and rented out an abandoned building.

Then again it wasn't really abandoned until she and the girls cleaned it out._ "Vamp nests. Gotta love 'em."_

Still, she didn't expect everyone to stay. Sure, Xander did, but Willow seemed to enjoy her own space after years of preteen girls not giving them a break. She respected that.

Once Buffy reached the door on the fourth floor, she didn't even bother knocking but instead twisted the knob and walked right in. The living room was washed in a dim amber light and the smell of sage flooded her nose. Her vision went to the carpet, old papers were sprawled and nearly covering the whole floor. Across the room from the map was a small wooden card table that had a large, open book with yellowed pages and handwritten words filling them. Two long-wicked candles were set on either side of the book, one white and one red and already lit.

As Buffy shut the door behind her, Willow rushed in from the hallway. The blonde looked over at her friend and folded her arms. "Everything ready?"

"Just gotta grab my dagger from the dishwasher," Willow replied and almost immediately frowned. "Not a whole lot of phrases I thought I'd never say, but that's definitely one of them."

Buffy gave the redhead a tight smile as the woman rushed to the kitchen. She always appreciated Will's lighthearted attitude in the face of such worrisome circumstances, but this was something bigger than they've seen in a long time. The slayer line wasn't something easily tampered with, so whoever created a whole new slayer had to be powerful - and something told her that they probably didn't have the best of intentions either.

Once Willow reentered the room, she met Buffy in the center and held out her free hand. The blonde hesitated a moment. "So what will this do?"

"Basically, we're summoning the first slayer to give us a name - in theory, at least." Willow walked over to her book, her brows furrowing before looking back over at Buffy. "Or it could set the whole room on fire and I lose my security deposit. Really not sure yet."

That was comforting. "What about scrying? Isn't that what we did with the others?"

"The others were made with the power of the scythe," another familiar voice piped up. Also exiting the hallway was a tall and fair brunette, who she quickly identified as her sister Dawn, waving around a bundled up stick of what looked like dried grass with one side releasing smoke. Buffy wrinkled her now as the smoke entered her nostrils, filling it with only the familiarity she'd associate with death and rotten meat. "This slayer wasn't made the same way at all. We don't even know _how_ she was called and there's nothing we can really go on aside from the word of a grumpy spirit."

"So, let's make her grumpier by waking her up," Buffy grumbled, trying not to breathe in the awful smell by waving the smoke away. "Sounds like an A plus plan."

"You betcha," Willow agreed almost as sarcastically. She sighed and walked over to the card table, snatching a small, marble bowl with her free hand from next to her book before looking back at the blonde. "Okay, I think we're ready."

Dawn continued to wave the bundle of smelly herbs as Buffy walked over to Willow, extending her right hand. The redhead placed the bowl under her friend's hand and used the dagger in her other hand to hesitantly slice open a small cut in Buffy's open palm. The slayer didn't even wince a little, even as she squeezed her hand into a fist and several tiny droplets of blood fell into the bowl.

Whatever else had been in the bowl - probably oils and herbs - was crushed with a matching marble pestle into the blood to make a sticky paste. Willow started muttering in an indecipherable language and the flames on the blackened candle wicks began to dance. The witch made a design on the tabletop with the mixture she'd made, her words getting louder and louder as she went on. The cut on Buffy's hand began burning.

That's when she saw a shadow on the wall behind Willow, although it looked nothing like the woman's actual shadow. The edges of the shadow seemed jagged but before Buffy could get a better look, she had blinked once and it was gone.

Another second and the candles went out, all at the same exact time. Willow kept chanting, as if this was expected.

That was when the top of the table ignited into large, angry flames, illuminating all three women in an orange hue. Of course, technically Buffy meant to include herself in that count, making the number four - because there was someone in front of her now. A hunched over shadow of a woman with wild hair. She was snarling viciously and her black eyes were burning into Buffy's green ones with such malice and intent.

Caught off guard by the sudden appearance, the blonde had been kicked to the ground by the shadowed girl almost immediately. Without a second's notice, the menacing image of the first slayer pinned Buffy to the floor by the throat and used their other hand to cover her eyes.

Darkness enveloped her sight for only a moment before flashes of images zoomed past. Many of the things she saw flashed so quickly that she could catch them, but she got a few that seemed to stick out. A room filled with guns of all kinds. Arrow heads. The smell of rotten meat switched to gun powder. She could hear howling in the distance. Severed bodies laid scattered among the trees and dead leaves.

Finally as her vision focused, Buffy saw, amongst the bare trees and darkness of the wilderness, a girl with a pale complexion and dark curls. Her face was still too blurry but she could clearly make out the weapon in the girl's hands. A compact bow. She grabbed an arrow and pulled the string back, aiming at Buffy.

She let go of the bow string and the arrow sped toward the blonde; in fact, she could've sworn it hit her in the chest. In that instant, the scenery switched to the ceiling of Willow's living room and Buffy gasped for air. The light above her was on now and making it hard to focus her vision as she sat straight up, clutching her chest where the arrow should have been. There was nothing there - no arrow, no blood. Once her eyes finally adjusted to the light, she noticed Dawn and Willow sitting on either side of her, both wearing frantic and concerned expressions.

Buffy exhaled a deep breath in relief and lightly touched her aching temple.

"You okay there?" Willow asked.

The blonde nodded weakly. "Peachy. Not to say it _wouldn't_ be nice if every encounter with the First Slayer didn't end in excruciating pain and bad omens, but..."

Dawn shrugged, trying at a meek smile. "Hey, it could've been worse."

"Yeah, she could've invaded our dreams and tried to kill all of us in our sleep!" Willow quipped and added, "Oh, wait..."

"As long as all I have to worry about is slayer visions, I think I can handle that much, but we still have no lead," Buffy mumbled as she cracked her neck. Of course, just as she said it, she noted the exchange of worried glances between Willow and Dawn. "What? What's with the looks?"

Both Dawn and Willow stood up as their eyes traveled over to the wooden table only feet away. It felt as though a boulder had dropped into Buffy's gut as she slowly got to her feet and followed the stares. Everything that had been on the table was now scattered all over the floor and the table itself was certainly charred.

Not all of it though.

All that was burned on the surface were two words, now permanently etched into the wood. In jagged, blackened letters, Buffy read exactly what she had not expected in a million years.

**_BEACON HILLS_**


	38. Chapter Thirty Seven: Worse

**A/N: And here we are! Sorry for the terribly long wait, my depression hasn't been kind lately and I've just gotten out of my writer's block slump. To make up for it, here's a SUPER LONG chapter! Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty Seven: Worse**

* * *

**_May 2003 _**

There weren't many things that twelve year old Jack Hayes did not enjoy. Like, seriously, the list of things he loved would've taken him the rest of the school year - given that was only a few days - to write down. Instead, it would have been infinitely simpler to write down the things he didn't like. For instance, writing - making the whole endeavor redundant from the start. Perhaps, instead he would chatter on and on about the things he actually liked. Things like girls and Monday night football and beating his sister at video games. In fact, there was a good chance he would've blathered on about all of those things _to_ his sister. She'd promptly sock him in the arm at the 'video games' thing.

Oh, but not today. Not after what he heard.

Mom was crying like he had never heard in his life, worse than before Maddie was around. Dad's voice was thunderous. Maddie, his baby sister, was huddled in the corner of the room they shared, on the furthest and darkest edge of the bottom bunk. Little eight year old Madeline, still dirty and her knuckles still a little red, sobbing and hyperventilating as she hugged her knees tightly.

This..._this_ was something Jack did not enjoy. He loathed it. It made him seethe with rage - at just about everyone and everything. At the bully who spat hateful, venomous words at her and threw her around like a ragdoll. At the principal that didn't believe her for months and now had the gall to expel her for defending herself. At their parents for blaming a freaking eight year old for this mess. At the school district for making middle-schoolers get out of class way later than the elementary school kids. At himself for not being there to protect her in the first place.

Sure, Jack was good at school and stuff. For instance, he liked World History class and a little bit of English but he didn't have a mind for logical things like math and science. Maddie, though, was so good at those things. She was so smart and _liked_ learning. She deserved to be in school.

"Elizabeth, she put a girl in the god damn ICU! This is _not_ what we signed up for!"

The whole rotten situation made him want to scream. Instead, he hugged his little sister and held her tight as she loudly choked out another sob, tears spilling onto his gray and white hoodie. All of this seemed to go on forever, but it was only another two weeks. A whole two weeks of dad avoiding her and of mom pretending everything was okay. Two weeks of hearing them fight. Two weeks of Maddie accidentally breaking things. Two weeks of her being afraid because their parents were afraid of _her_. Two weeks of her crying herself to sleep.

That's when _they_ came. Two women, a blonde and a redhead.

That was when Maddie and Jack hid in their room and clung to each other for dear life. That was when mom cried harder; it sounded like she couldn't do anything else, not even breathe. Jack wanted to listen, but Maddie was so afraid and he was her big brother. He promised his parents that he'd protect her, for all that was worth. More importantly, he promised _her_. He'd never leave her. He'd never hurt her. He'd always come running when she called.

That's the whole point of being a big brother, right?

"Take her! We can't do this anymore!"

"_No!_" Their mother's voice was shrill through her weeping. "Not my baby! You can't! Please! I won't let you! God, please!"

She had always wanted a baby girl. It was no surprise that Maddie was coddled and sheltered in a way Jack never was. He wished there was a lock on the door suddenly.

"Elizabeth! We cannot handle this! She can't control it! We...we have to!"

Jack wondered how far they could get, just the two of them. How fast they could run.

"This is NOT worth our lives! Our _son's_ life!"

Mom wouldn't hear it. She just kept crying.

The rest was a blur. Their dad entering with the blonde woman, who looked shaken but solemn as she sucked in a breath. It took both of them to pull the siblings apart. To pull Jack from his screaming and crying little sister. It took him a moment to realize that he was screaming too. His father held him tightly around the waist and Jack flailed viciously. Maddie was calling for him. He had to protect her. It was his job. Why wouldn't they let him protect her?

Their dad held him back as the blonde led Maddie into the hallway, knelt down, and very calmly spoke to her. It was almost like they knew a language that Jack couldn't understand. They were still speaking English but the words didn't make sense. Maybe it was because Jack was thrashing for so long that he tired himself out after a while and couldn't focus on the words.

He picked up a few at the end.

_Monsters._

_Heroes._

Maddie was still crying but it was silent.

"You gotta learn to protect them first, okay?" It was like his sister was in a trance or something, because she nodded at the request.

"I don't wanna go," she said.

The blonde almost looked like she was about to cry as she nodded. "I know."

"Th-the monsters won't get them if I'm not here?"

The blonde nodded again and a tear streaked down her cheek. "They'll be safe until you get back. I promise."

Maybe he was tired but the way she said it made it sound like a lie. Her voice wobbled. She couldn't quite smile. Her green gaze looked so sad. Still, she held out a hand to Maddie. The little girl with messy brown hair and big brown eyes looked back over at Jack, who felt helpless. He'd gone limp in his father's arms and stared at his sister. His voice was sore and his eyes were blurry.

She ran to them, stretching her short arms as far as she could around both him and their father, who would not loosen his grip on Jack. He knew though - he knew that if Jack could hug her back that he wouldn't let her go. He knew that Jack knew this was it. Maddie wouldn't be coming back.

Even through his scratchy voice, Jack whispered to her. "I'll find you. We'll fight the monsters together."

Monsters weren't real. Not that it mattered.

"Just you and me, kid," Jack said, swallowing the lump in his throat. Maddie cried a little harder but nodded slightly.

She didn't want to bring her things. She didn't say another word. The last he saw of her was when she turned the corner and disappeared with the mysterious blonde down the hallway. He heard the front door close gently after what seemed like an eternity. Mom couldn't scream anymore; she just cried quietly until Jack finally lost consciousness in his weeping father's arms.

* * *

Maddie had not waited for Allison that morning, and with good reason.

Number one: She still didn't understand what the hell was going on with the girl.

Number two: She distinctly recalled Allison making absurd presumptions about her and Stiles months ago with no backing whatsoever. She might've flown off the handle if given an inkling that she might've been right.

Number three: She was, in no way, right. The dream she had was most likely her brain reacting to extreme stress. It did _not_ imply that she had romantic feelings involving Stiles. And it certainly didn't imply that she was attracted to him in any way. She barely gave any thought to him in the...aesthetic sense.

_Barely_, her brain seemed to echo. She grimaced at the thought as she crossed the lacrosse field, freshly mowed grass and dew sticking to her glossy black boots.

Her head was so jumbled from the night before that she hadn't even thought to ask Xander. About the Allison thing, obviously. Sure, it wasn't like she had the ability to after the fight in the library, what with her sudden case of paralysis. She would text him everything before first period, she resolved. At the moment, though, as she continued to walk past the bleachers to the school entrance, she wasn't in the mood to even look at her phone. Which she still hadn't yet, even though the text message light was blinking when she had grabbed it after waking up.

It was probably Stiles. _Or Scott,_ she rationalized, becoming increasingly annoyed with herself. She could honestly go without speaking to both of them for quite a while, but she already knew that wasn't an option after yesterday. The last thing she could even remember was something about Jackson and a rave, according to Stiles, just as he was dropping her off. Jackson was going to kill again and that couldn't be ignored, even with all the other threats looming over her.

While not so much grandiose, Scott's main problems were almost always immediate and involved certain death. So, naturally, his problems instantaneously became hers.

As she crossed the parking lot, she groaned, spotting that damned blue jeep. Her gaze kept going and found two familiar boys just beyond the vehicle, on the sidewalk. Scott and Stiles were talking to that other kid that was in detention with them yesterday, Matt, and Stiles seemed particularly frustrated with him as he was gesturing animatedly. Maddie stopped a few feet away from them, considering just moving on without calling their attention. What if she looked at Stiles and, somehow, he knew something was wrong? What if she said something that held some sort of inclination of her dream?

What if she turned into some pathetic, bleeding heart girl with no life outside of her misguided crush in a matter of seconds like that one from that movie Marie liked to make fun of - the one about the shiny vampires or whatever?

Well, okay, that wasn't going to happen - mostly because she physically cringed at the word 'crush' as it flashed in her head.

She sighed, gripping the strap of her leather messenger bag tightly as her stomach flopped. She was sincerely hoping it was just the waffles from the diner not agreeing with her but something was telling her that probably wasn't the case. Inhaling a long breath, she squared her shoulders and moved towards the boys, just as Matt was walking away. Her eyes narrowed on him as they made eye contact and he sidestepped her, his stare darting away.

"...Last time, whoever's controlling Jackson had to kill somebody because he didn't finish the job, so what do you think he's going to do this time?" Scott asked in a poor attempt at a hushed voice - but not so much so that Maddie couldn't clearly hear him.

"...Be there to make sure it happens," Stiles said, looking defeated. They both turned to head into the school and stopped almost immediately when they saw Maddie coming towards them. "Maddie! Hey!"

Maddie didn't answer but gave a tight smile and halfhearted wave, her eyes avoiding him completely and instead redirecting to the beta just to her left. Scott smiled and waved as well, only instead looking genuinely relieved that she was up and walking again. A moment later, he glanced around, confused. "Hey, don't you usually ride to school with Allison?"

"And if I did, would you think we would walk side by side up to you with her psycho grandpa and all of the cameras around?" She almost chastised herself for sounding a bit snappy, but told herself that it was no different than how she normally talked. Still, she folded her arms defensively. "And, no, I didn't. I felt like walking. So, what's this about Jackson?"

Scott and Stiles glanced at each other, mildly confused, before Scott answered, "Oh, um...we're still trying to get into that rave. Jackson's next target should be there, but we can't find tickets."

She shrugged. "I'll find some."

Stiles looked at Scott and gestured to Maddie. "See? Problem solved!"

"Without violence?" Scott asked. Maddie opened her mouth to defend herself when he spoke again. "Or _threats_ of violence?"

Maddie adjusted the strap of her bag again and grumbled, "...I don't see you with a better plan."

"Or an inexpensive one," Stiles added with a small shrug. The look Scott threw Stiles was one that screamed 'you're not helping' and Stiles put up his hands defensively. "What? I'm just saying, I don't really keep an 'in case rave' money stash. And I'm pretty sure you don't either."

"We'll think of something, guys. We always do, right?" Scott said, although the tone in his voice was just short of defeated. He sighed and looked between Stiles and Maddie. "I mean...we have to. Between this and the Argents and the _vampires-_"

Maddie's eyes widened in shock as a few students passed and Stiles loudly and absurdly cleared his throat. All three looked around suspiciously before huddling closer together. Maddie swatted Scott's arm. "If you're going to bring up supernatural things in public, at least learn how to _whisper_."

Scott blinked before his eyes grew larger, as if he hadn't even thought about it. "Right, yeah. Sorry."

"Whatever." Maddie rolled her eyes. "Just...think of something. And quick, okay?"

Scott nodded and gave a half-hearted, grateful smile, acknowledging that the girl had begrudgingly conceded to his request. Maddie took a step back without a second glance to either boy before spinning on her heel and walking towards the entrance of the school.

"Mads, wait up!" Stiles called and Maddie halted her steps, tense from the neck down. She barely turned her head and hoped she wouldn't catch a glimpse of him. "We've all got English. Might as well head there together. Y'know, discuss possible plans?"

The brunette girl forced herself to shake her head slightly, only enough that they had to have noticed. "Can't. I, um...I gotta call my watcher. Get him up to speed."

She could hear the slight hesitation in Stiles' voice when he spoke. "...Oh. Okay, yeah. See you in class then?"

"Yeah. Later." She didn't wait any longer before speed walking to the building, although the tenseness in her muscles still had a tight grip on her.

* * *

"I did my _job_."

Sadie had been telling herself that for days, especially after she'd seen her handy work. And, boy, was it ever a job of work. The universe felt like it had shifted all around her within second of granting Allison's wish. It felt...skewed, like she was living in a snow globe and someone kept shaking it _constantly_. Everything was shaking. Everything was vibrating with such violent energy that she could even feel an unease among the mortals. Maybe that was just because midterms were coming.

Of course, never would she believe that she would sense unease where she stood, peering into the stoic, and black eyes of D'Hoffryn. Even in the near- black, circular room, lit only in the dim light of five or six long-wicked candles, he was completely illuminated. His lilac skin was wrinkled around the four horns atop his head, perhaps from age or from (the more likely reason) on the job stress. His clawed hands were folded in front of him. He still didn't speak.

"By order of you, D'Hoffryn, lord of Arash'Maharr, and the Lower Beings, I was given the power of the wish to avenge scorned women. Was that _not_ what you asked of me?" Sadie's armed were crossed over her chest as she glared at the demon.

"What scorn do you speak of, Sadira?" he asked, his pupil-less gaze narrowing. It was the first thing he had said since summoning her and the boom of his voice made the blonde almost jump. "You gave unwarranted power to a jealous teenager. You made this tiny human into our enemy, _literally_. The chaos that you have thrown the mortal realm into-"

"Gee, sorry," she said, sarcasm cutting through her tone. "Thought that was the point. My bad."

"The point, my dear, is that you had no idea what you were dealing with!" His voice bellowed with an unnatural amount of bass. "The Lower Beings that you had the audacity to mention want to see you burn for this. This mortal you deemed worthy of assistance, this...Allison Argent, was to lead a small - if not insignificant - life and her end would be no better. Do you know why that is?"

Sadie frowned. "No, but you look like you're going to tell me."

"Because. She. Had. Power." The large demon took a step closer, baring his teeth as he spoke to her but she stood there still, stiff as a board. "The Argent name, although cursed, has survived centuries with the same two traits that already belong to the slayer - power and death. Their reality is still adjusting and balancing itself after what the Summers girl did. Now, it has to compensate for possibly something worse - a girl who didn't need the power."

"So she's super O.P. now." There didn't seem to be an answer for this and she huffed. "O.P., y'know? Overpowered?"

This managed to break the ominous tension as the demon before her sighed. "Oh, by the Old Ones, I don't care about your Twenty-First Century slang. Yes, she is overpowered. But power isn't just created out of thin air. It's given, or in this unfortunate instance, taken. It's like taking a block out of a Jenga tower and you just managed to take one from the very bottom. Do you know what that means?"

"Really? A Jenga metaphor?" He didn't answer and she rolled her eyes. "Well, if I take one from the bottom-center, not really anything."

"Bottom right."

"How big's the tower?"

"Very. Big."

"Which side is it top heavy on?"

"Really? You use ridiculous, contemporary metaphors daily that we're all supposed to understand and I make a Jenga reference one time."

"You're the one that wants me to buy that the whole freaking universe is a Jenga tower."

"Meaning that everything has the very real potential to fall apart for all of us without warning. Do you understand that?" He sounded more annoyed than angry now, but there was still a severity in his tone until he spoke again. "And you made me break down my entire metaphor. You know how much I hate doing that."

She barely caught the tail-end of what he had said because, in her head, she saw it all toppling - an impossibly large tower of wooden bricks. She couldn't help but wonder if one of them was her. This was certainly not the way she wanted to get the attention of the Lower Beings. "Okay then. Undo it."

"It's not that simple. You, more than anyone, know the consequences for reversing a wish. It takes more power than we have at the moment." He smiled and it was in no way pleasant. All sharp teeth and wrinkles. "That's where you come in."

She quirked an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"In one fell swoop, you've exhausted our power and we need more of it. That being said..." He glided across the floor towards her and eyed her long, bronze necklace and the deep burgundy of the gem attached to it. His pale hand lightly touched the chain before yanking off of Sadie's neck. She gasped, less at the slight stinging of the necklace being ripped off of her neck and more at the sudden action in general. Girls had lost their amulets and some had even had their destroyed in one way or another, but D'Hoffryn never took an amulet away. Her nonchalant attitude turned into panic and she reached to grab it back but the demon kept it out of her grasp. "That little town you found happens to have an excellent power source but we can't seem to find it. You're stay has been extended until _you_ do. We'll be keeping this to make sure you don't make any more insufferably idiotic decisions."

Sadie's jaw felt like it hit the floor. She wanted to reach for her amulet again but feared what would happen to her if she did. Still, in her panic, she found herself arguing. "No. No way. You can't do this! After everything I've-... This isn't-"

"Fair?" His icy tone made her hold her tongue. "Let me remind you that life isn't fair. The Lower Beings would prefer I kill you and take _your_ power, but, what can I say? I'm sentimental. Instead, you get what even my favorites didn't get. A lesson."

Her jaw clenched as he said 'favorites'. She knew she wasn't one of the favorites; if anything that meant she could fly under the radar until today. There was no flying under the radar now. D'Hoffryn was the only thing standing between her and a gruesome, agonizing death. There was still so much more she had to do. Wrongs she needed to right. People she needed to torture. Now was no time to die. She swallowed. "Fine then. What do you need me to do?"

"Nothing too terribly difficult, Sadira. Find the mystical centre of that town and give us a call. If you can do that, we'll make things right and you can go back to doing what you do best. Oh, and do try to avoid those slayers." He backed slowly into the shadows, smirking. "I'd hate lose you like I lost Anyanka."

Sadie kept her arms folded tightly and glowered at the space where her boss had been standing. As she blinked and found herself at the edge of the woods by the lacrosse field of Beacon Hills High School, she adjusted the strap of her backpack and stomped over to the school, now powerless and swearing on every unholy deity that she would never end up like Anyanka.

* * *

The day had wound down to an end and Madeline felt particularly on edge, perhaps even more than she had been that morning. She had made a check list in her head of the things that had already gone wrong that day and it seemed to be growing by the second. As she dragged her feet down the hallway to the front entrance of the school, she caught sight of Allison, who had unfortunately seen her first and darted around the corner. This led her to the first item on her list.

1\. Allison was avoiding her - and doing a damn good job at it.

She would get to the classes they shared early and sit at the opposite end of the room, then proceed to be the first person out when the bell rang. She was MIA during lunch and in between classes, too. They still hadn't talked about what had happened yesterday and Maddie was starting to believe that they might never.

It was all too suspicious and was verging on irritating. It was like she was hiding something and it was starting to feel like she would sooner tell her grandfather than Maddie. Of course, it was no wonder. Maddie had been trying to call and inform Xander of the whole situation all day, between every class. There were even a few times she would excuse herself and call from the girls' bathroom. This, unfortunately, led to the next problem.

2\. Xander wasn't answering and neither was Dawn.

She even tried Willow, but she hardly ever paid attention to her phone anyway. The odds of no one at HQ picking up their phones was highly unlikely, unless it was an 'end of the world'-type emergency. This only seemed to raise the slayer's panic exponentially. What if there was some impending apocalypse on the horizon? That was certainly explain the unexplainable unease she'd been suffering from the past several days. Still, wouldn't they have said something?

She pulled out her phone again. No messages. When she stuffed it back in her jacket pocket, she sighed.

"You okay there, Mads?"

Her sigh was immediately followed by a groan as she looked to her side and found Stiles walking beside her, his backpack slung over his shoulder and worry in his light brown eyes. She always loathed brown eyes, as dark as hers were. When she was angry or sad, they were pitch black and looked like they devoured souls. Stiles didn't seem to have that problem though. Even when he was weighed down by worry or anger or (the most familiar) suspicion, there was still color there. His irises would change from gold to copper and it almost made her stop and appreciate the color.

_No. That would be weird. Don't be weird._

She found herself frowning at him, like she always did, before shifting her gaze forward. "I'm fine."

3\. She couldn't seem to avoid Stiles.

Unlike Allison, she found herself running into him more when she tried. Maddie never really considered how much she would see him in one day. It wasn't even like he was following her; he just seemed to be in almost every class and even when he forgot to save her a seat, Scott would always remember and she ended up right next to Stiles every time. In between classes, she managed to get away and lunch was easy enough - she had the option of training in the gym and no one would tell her otherwise.

Still, she ran into him five whole times just today. It was like she wasn't even trying.

Maybe she wasn't. That was a topic for another time, though.

"See, now I know something's wrong." She could tell that he had glanced her way again. "Anyone who says 'I'm fine' is never fine."

Her jaw tightened. "Could you not psycho-analyze me right now?"

"Okay, okay, calm down, Diana," he said, with a grin. "You see the reference there? Because Wonder-"

"Yes, I got the reference, Stiles." She could certainly do without the nicknames. Not that she didn't enjoy that comic or being compared to Wonder Woman of all people, but she could feel the backs of her ears getting warm and immediately wanted the subject changed.

Her tone seemed to put a damper on his mood though, which she found herself immediately regretting. Still, she noticed her pulled out something from his pocket. "Maybe this'll cheer you up a little."

He handed her a brightly colored ticket and she studied it curiously before side-eyeing Stiles. "Do I want to know how you got this?"

"You're probably not gonna like the answer." At her expectant stare, he rolled his eyes. "Isaac. He, ah...roughed up some guys and took the tickets."

She narrowed her eyes at him.

He raised his hands up defensively. "Hey! It's not like he gave us an option! Before I knew it, there were a couple of unconscious guys and we had three tickets."

"Just like that?"

"Well...sort of." He shrugged at her deadpan stare. "What? They'll be fine!"

She tucked away the ticket in her pocket and grumbled, "Whatever, it's fine. Now what's the next step?"

"We head to Scott's job. Scott's boss, Deaton, wanted us to meet up there."

She had nodded, giving in for no other reason than stopping Jackson. By that point, they had almost made it to the door and Stiles had just asked if she needed a ride, when she stopped in her tracks as if something had tethered her to the school. Like her gut filled up with stones and made her too heavy to move.

"Maddie?"

She ignored him as she stared at the door. Her unease had increased tenfold almost instantly and flooded her brain. It felt more familiar than before, though. The feeling that coursed through her the same way almost nine years ago.

Nine years ago, her parents were fighting downstairs. Her brother was holding her tightly. She was crying so hard that she couldn't breathe.

Nine years ago, there was a knock at the door.

And it changed her whole life.

Panic and rage was filling her up so much that it felt like her eyes were floating in it. She was nudged back to reality and she turned back to Stiles, who looked worried again. "Maddie? What is it? Is something happening?"

"Yeah." Her eyes shifted back to the door and then back to him. "Things just got a whole lot worse."

Without another moment passing, she shoved the door open, Stiles in tow.

She stared, empty-eyed, at the bottom of the concrete steps, where two women stood. A blonde and a redhead.

They were both staring at her with concern as Maddie slowly walked down the steps, never breaking eye contact. She could hear Stiles talking but could decipher the words.

She stopped in front of the blonde, whose tired, green stare almost seemed a bit relieved. Maddie knew that her own stare was black and guarded as she folded her arms. It took all of her willpower to control her emotions as she spoke, her tone icy. "What are you doing here?"

The worry in those green irises seemed to triple.

Finally, Buffy spoke. "Maddie. We have a big problem."


	39. Chapter Thirty Eight: Unbecoming, Part 1

**A/N: As many of you know, I've had quite a bit of trauma in my life lately and I appreciate the kind words but, as we all know, life keeps going. So I gotta keep writing. That being said, obviously, this chapter is big. Like, you know those 2 parter episodes? This is part one. So here ya go. A chapter about discovering strength and the beginning of a battle we all knew was coming since the end of Act One.**

**This is for Kharma. Rest in peace, puppy.**

**Chapter Thirty Eight: Unbecoming, Part One**

* * *

_"There's moments in your life that make you, that set the course of who you're gonna be. Sometimes they're little, subtle moments. Sometimes they're not. I'll show you what I mean." _\- Whistler, "Becoming, Part One", _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_

* * *

The clock on the wall ticked, splitting the silence and shooting through Maddie's jagged nerves.

It had only been a few short months - or, at least, that was the way that it felt.

It had only been a few short months since Xander, the man with the jet black hair and matching eye patch that stood a few feet away, had told her about her mission. Her first solo mission. Hers and only _hers_. He looked so proud when he handed her the photo of the Argents that day and him being proud of her, even in her distraught and distant state at the time, made her swell with pride as well. They had never trusted Marie enough to send her out in the field by herself (which was, in retrospect, probably a good call). They trusted Terra and Em, the leaders of her team, first. Terra could think on her feet and Em excelled at strategy; it only made sense. They trusted Charlie, another member of the 'A' squad who was only a year older than Maddie. Another obvious choice, considering the girl's empathy toward innocent people and skill with a dual-sided boomerang glaive. Nora, the youngest, had a long way to go but she was good and brave - but things happen. Every group loses people, missing or dead or otherwise.

Then, there was angry, little Madeline Hayes - who only got angrier after Nora went missing and she saw her best friend die. Little Madeline Hayes, who didn't cry anymore and trained until her hands would bruise and bleed, because that was easier. Simpler.

_"God, stop crying!"_

Little Madeline Hayes, who Marie may have always hated.

_"You're a slayer just like the rest of us. Don't act like you can just get special treatment by making everyone feel bad for you."_

Who had to work harder and train harder and _be_ _harder_.

_"We'll fight the monsters together."_

Little Maddie, whose brother probably forgot about her by now.

**_Guard the girl._**

Who would give someone like that a something so important? That's what she kept asking herself day after day. It's what she kept bugging her Watcher about. Why her? Why _now?_

_Just a few short months._ She had nearly forgotten all of it. She'd nearly forgotten about waking up on a thin mattress every morning in a large room full of girls. She'd almost forgotten about being the smallest of her team, the overlooked. She'd forgotten about sticking to Jack's side, then Buffy's side, then Marie's side. She'd almost even forgot about all of the times she was almost killed and needed to be saved by the rest of her team.

And now? There wasn't a day that went by now where someone wasn't asking her what they should do. People ran plans by her, like they needed her approval or something dumb like that. She faced an Alpha werewolf her fight night in Beacon Hills. She saved Erica from Jackson that night at the school. She wasn't a slayer, she was the Slayer. The Chosen One.

_"You're freaking Wonder Woman."_

Just a few short months and the blonde and the redhead that ended up at the front steps of Beacon Hills High School looked like strangers. It almost felt like a dream. They couldn't be there. Buffy, Willow, and Xander couldn't exist here.

_Why not?_

She frowned at them as they spoke quietly amongst themselves. She didn't know why not. Even as she found herself backing towards Scott and Stiles. Even as she wished she could just be hanging out with Lydia or training with Allison. She couldn't put her finger on the reason.

They stood in the school gymnasium long after school had been let out as the remaining rays of sunshine bled through some windows close to the ceiling. Both entrances to the large, empty room were locked now - possibly with magic, Maddie assumed. She wouldn't put it past them and it wasn't as if they really had anywhere else to talk with no interruption. The office connected to the gym was empty as well; Coach seemed to have a knack most times of inexplicably avoiding supernatural things. There really was no rhyme or reason to it, he just happened to be scarce - just like right now. Maddie was beginning to wish she had that luck.

Both Scott and Stiles waited there with her, quietly shuffling and giving each other concerned looks. Maddie wished Stiles hadn't been trailing her when she found Buffy and Willow and she wished even more that Scott hadn't showed up seconds later, as if he sensed her fear from wherever he was. Well, not really 'as if'. If nothing else, he was certainly becoming adept to the whole 'werewolf' thing. On the other hand, Stiles - who had no heightened senses - could probably tell from her face that she was terrified.

Then came the part she wasn't expecting - Scott and Stiles refused to leave. Even after Buffy explained it was official business and Xander tried to reason with them, they stayed. They followed the group to where they stood now, hovering near Maddie and adding to her aura of worry and defensiveness. They were the constant, though. Scott stood by his friends regardless of the circumstance, even if it was the worst idea he could go with. He was just that guy, no matter what, even though Maddie still didn't know why he saw her as a friend. And Stiles...well, that was a given. No need for explanation.

That's just how it always was, every time, like there was a Scott and Stiles-specific magnet implanted in her while she was sleeping. _Oh, the slayer's in danger? Here's a werewolf and...some weird and not-at all supernaturally inclined guy._ Only it wasn't weird at all, or at least it didn't seem weird. _They_ didn't seem weird. In fact, it happened so often that it felt normal. Some slayers had a giant bag of weapons, Maddie had two teenage boys. Well, it was better than it sounded.

(Besides, she still had the giant bag of weapons.)

Buffy, Willow, and Xander were looking at her expectantly, as if she missed something. She frowned and looked back at Scott and Stiles, who seemed confused and maybe a little shocked. She hadn't been paying attention._ Damn it. _Maddie whipped her head back to stare at Buffy. "Sorry, what?"

She was almost proud of herself in a way, mostly for the look of Buffy's face. Shock, slight annoyance. In a way, it felt a bit like revenge - a very small, insignificant, and totally nowhere-near-equal kind of way. She couldn't count on one hand (or two or five) the amount of times the blonde ignored her. Repeating herself was the least Buffy could do, like repaying someone who lent you a thousand dollars one penny at a time. The older slayer gave one long blink and sucked in a mildly irritated breath. "There's another slayer. Here. In Beacon Hills."

Maddie's brows furrowed curiously._ Another slayer?_ Was that it? "What do mean? Did they just get to town? What-"

"Not exactly," Xander said. His tone made it feel like a joke, a bad one at that. Like Maddie had missed the point entirely.

There was an extended silence that fell over the three adults who then looked at each other with shaken stares, as if none of them could bring themselves to speak. Like they were hoping they were wrong and didn't have say anything more. She remembered that look. It was a scar in Maddie's memory and haunted her dreams. She'd seen it in on their faces at the worst moments in her life. She suddenly didn't want to know whatever they were going to say, but knew they wouldn't leave until she heard it all. So she choked out a low "what" and hardened her stare to look Buffy in the eye.

The tone in voice even took the boys at her side by surprise. They'd never heard her that angry, that truly and completely _enraged_. It probably didn't make any sense either. The woman in front of her had barely said anything yet, and certainly nothing that warranted that reaction. Buffy, on the other hand, seemed to expect it and even take it in stride. They couldn't even hear a difference in her voice. "A new slayer was called. A teenager."

Maddie's glare didn't drop but grew wider in horror. "That can't happen."

"But, wait, isn't that the point?" Stiles' voice cut through and seemed to ground her a little bit. Or, at the very least, brought her back to the present, here in Beacon Hills. Part of her had expected Em's voice, or Terra's. Possibly Marie's. Buffy's presence did that, though, pulled her back to the past. To San Francisco and crowded sleeping quarters and sheets of rain coming down in alleyways. Stiles had the opposite effect. He kept her in the present, because it was ten times better and made more sense that her most solid and happy memory of her past. Suddenly, in that moment, a realization dawned on Maddie: Stiles wasn't talking to her, he was talking to Buffy. "Slayers being called and all? That's what's supposed to happen, right?"

Maddie could tell by Buffy's face that she wasn't keen on explaining the process (she could probably recite it in her sleep before and, frankly, Maddie didn't want her to. She turned slightly to her right where Stiles stood but didn't make eye contact. "Remember the part with the witch that did the spell and all of the Slayers being called at once?"

Maddie stiffly nodded to the pale redhead who looked exhausted but perpetually kind. Her hair was pulled back in a short ponytail and she took one of her hands out of her long, sandy-beige suede coat and waved with a half-hearted smile.

Even out of the tiniest corner of Maddie's eye, she could see Stiles open his mouth to respond and suddenly look like he was paused in mid-response before closing his mouth again and waving back. "I, ah, guess that makes sense. I mean, it makes sense that it doesn't make sense." He cleared his throat. "If that, y'know...makes any sense."

She almost told him to shut up, like she always did when he rambled, but that might've been the only thing keeping her from going into full on panic mode. Not that panic was totally out of the question when the only word she could choke out was, "How?"

"We don't know yet," Xander said, his voice calm and yet defeated. "That's problem number one."

"But whatever happened, whoever is responsible for it tore a pretty big hole in reality to do it," Willow said. "Buffy and I could feel it. Every slayer we've talked to could. This girl, whoever she is, wasn't meant to be Chosen and someone put a lot of mojo into making her a slayer."

Panic was still rising in Maddie's stomach, as was her confusion and the anger attached to it. Of course she'd felt it - the shift in reality. She had since the morning after Lydia showed up in her room wanting answers, the same morning Allison began avoiding her like the plague. She touched her jaw, which wasn't nearly as sore as it was yesterday but it was still sensitive. Before she could reach any further in her thought process, Scott spoke up. "Wait. I mean, yeah, the 'how' is important but...shouldn't the main priority be 'who'? Whoever was given those powers might be terrified right now."

Stiles shrugged. "Or they could be some power hungry nut job ready to strike at any moment."

"Two very valid points," Xander said, looking almost amused over at Stiles. This was getting too weird for Maddie.

She shook her head, focusing back on her jaw. When was the last time she even talked to Allison? She couldn't remember. "No, I think Scott's right. I think she might be afraid."

She looked over at Stiles first, who seemed puzzled but like he was trying connect something in his brain. Then, she turned to Scott, whose dark eyes were slowly growing larger and larger as he looked at her. The solemn expression on Buffy's face shifted slightly to curiosity and she took a step forward, towards Maddie. The younger slayer remained stiff as she stood there, although the urge to move a step back shot through her.

"Maddie, do you know something?" Buffy asked, but it sounded less concerned and more like a command to speak.

"I'm not sure yet," Maddie said, hostility crawling into her tone. She gestured to the boys behind her. "_We're_ not sure yet, but...there _might_ be someone."

Maddie felt a nudge on her arm and side glanced over at Stiles who seemed utterly confused. "Wait. We?"

She looked back at Scott again, who looked like he'd just been doused in ice water. She could almost hear him saying - no, shouting - the girl's name. She'd never heard anyone ever say a name so often that wasn't their own until she met Scott McCall. They both shot glances back to the blonde in the center of the room when Maddie forced herself to speak. "We need to find Allison Argent."

* * *

Sadie's day was going swimmingly, as far as she was concerned. She'd failed the Econ pop quiz, which Coach magnificently pointed out to the whole class, and she had absolutely no way to smite him. It wasn't necessarily that she would - she wasn't quite that petty - but she had already been in a bad mood from the events of that morning and could use a good smiting. Or maiming. Or massacre. Her Economics class would've made a great group of candidates for that. She was still a demon and she was still strong enough to beat a few of them to death, but with no necklace to transport her away from the scene of the crime, no doubt someone would notice something like that. _Can't find any ancient mystical energy sources on the run from the law._

Even still, she was volatile and felt the familiar rumbling in her gut that would always urge her to make her own fun. So, instead, she sat on the curb of the parking lot, her knees wobbling lazily left and right in front of her while her and stayed balled into fists in the pockets of her thin army green jacket.

She probably would've sat there even longer with nothing but her miserable thoughts to keep her company if not for the pretty brunette that was crossing the parking lot. Sure, plenty of pretty brunette girls had made their way across the parking lot after school. It was high school, for god's sake. This girl, though, was especially important. This girl? Well, she just happened to upset the whole freaking universe.

Sadie found herself hopping up and striding over to walk beside Allison before she could even think of a plan, not that she had time to in just those few seconds. Of course, she always had a plan. Sort of a plan. If she was lucky, all she really had to do was smile and wing it.

And that's exactly what she did, with an ease that would most likely frighten or impress anyone who knew her intentions. "Why so glum, chum?"

This seemed to startle Allison much more that Sadie had anticipated as the girl jumped and stopped in her tracks. She closed her eyes and sighed, grasping her forehead. "Sorry, um...Sorry..."

Allison looked exhausted, like she could pass out at any moment. To be honest, that could've just as easily been attached to her whole weird hunter family or the slayer thing. Both were completely valid reasons for insomnia and, for all Sadie knew, it could have been a mixture of both. Still, Sadie gave a mildly concerned look to the girl, if for nothing else but the illusion of sincerity. "No worries! I mean, at least, from me. You, on the other hand..."

"I know, I know..." Allison said with a self-conscious chuckle. "It's, um...it's been a long week, you know?"

Sadie couldn't stop herself from nodding. "Right there with ya." Part of her regretted the words as she felt exactly how charged with honesty they were. The regret hardly lasted though, as she convinced herself that every lie needed some truth. At least any successful lie. Still, she found herself rushing to explain before Allison could ask. "I lost my favorite necklace. I mean, I know it doesn't sound particularly panic inducing or anything but still. I feel kinda lost without it."

Of course, that was also very honest.

"No, I totally get it. No need to explain." Allison smiled weakly. Sadie wasn't entirely sure if that was genuine or just a way to cut the conversation short, which was new. From their two or three interactions in the past week, her intentions always seemed genuine even when she tried to lie - poorly.

Sadie had prepped her response in her head when it was cut short, but not by the girl at her right side.

"Allison." The voice was firm and loud enough to feel like the two had walked right into a brick wall, so much so that they both stopped in their tracks.

Sadie looked off to her left in the direction of the school lawn, where the voice had come from. When her eyes were met with Madeline Hayes, she desperately hoped that the color hadn't drained from her face. It wasn't like they had any way of knowing it was her that did this Allison, that it was Sadie that granted the granddaddy of all wishes. Then again, it wasn't the sudden appearance of Madeline that shook Sadie down to her bones. It was, however, the people who stood beside them.

She knew their faces. Her whole order knew those faces. Sadie felt particularly haunted by them though. D'Hoffryn made sure they all knew, after what they did to Anyanka and Halfrek. Some would argue that what happened to the two most vicious vengeance demons in centuries was completely Anyanka's fault. Even Sadie thought so. Anyanka was weak, but the people who stood before her fed that weakness.

She couldn't decide which toxic emotion she felt more entitled to - her malice or her fear of them. Regardless, she found herself latching on tightly to her mask of confusion.

Allison seemed to go with the latter. "Maddie? What's happening? What-"

"We have to talk," Maddie said. Her eyes weren't as hard as they usually were; they were sad. Unbelievably horror-stricken and unfathomably sad.

It was happening. They knew. There was no other explanation for the Summers girl and her lackeys to show up here like this, which meant they were already trying to figure out how it happened. Or maybe not. Maybe she was overreacting. Maybe this was something else entirely.

"Is this a private thing?" she found herself asking, cringing as her own voice spearheaded through the tension. Maddie's large, black eyes narrowed on her and Sadie forced herself to shrink back a little. Not that she was afraid of Maddie. _It's a performance_, she reasoned with herself._ I gotta sell it. _"This...feels like a private thing."

Allison must've caught Maddie's glare and seemed to move in front of Sadie slightly, as if placing a wall between them. This alone caught Sadie's interest and she fought back the smirk that threatened to spread across her lips. Luckily, it wasn't present when Allison turned back to Sadie slightly and said, "Sorry. We can talk later, okay?"

Sadie nodded faintly, focusing back on Maddie and her companions for a second and not saying another word as she spun on her heel and walked off, looking back a few times. Worriedly, of course.

The thought of Allison standing between her and Madeline swirled around her head and once she was far enough away from the school, she allowed a slow, wicked grin to stretch across her mouth before she let out a light and airy laugh. She almost felt like dancing.

Maybe this would be easier than she thought.

* * *

The drive to the Argents' house stretched on for what seemed like hours, even if it was just ten minutes. It didn't make it any better that she had been stuck in the car with the three people who knew the least about what was going on in Beacon Hills. That and the only two people who did know couldn't even join them because of the stupid Argent stigma about Scott.

That was a while ago though. They had followed Allison to her house in Xander's aging white Camry that was now parked just beyond the driveway. Now, a small group of people stood in the basement with Allison and her father on one side, staring at Buffy, Xander, Willow, and Maddie. Chris' constantly guarded eyes shifted slowly between the other three adults and Maddie was suddenly thankful for the absence of Victoria and Gerard due to their school duties.

Chris looked over at Maddie and, while still almost like staring at a brick wall, she thought she saw a flicker of concern. He was right to be concerned and he had a right to know. Maybe that was why she didn't wait for Buffy to say it.

"Allison's a vampire slayer," she said and it had slipped out so easily that Maddie suddenly wished she hadn't been the one to say it. Buffy was gaping, clearly not expecting the words to come from Maddie. Both Xander and Willow had a similar look on their faces, or at least that's what looked like out of Maddie's peripheral vision. Their reactions weren't the ones she cared about, though. Hell, she didn't even care for Chris' reaction - which was incredulous, like Maddie had anticipated. It sounded so far-fetched that she understood why he looked like he was about to argue the point.

No, none of their reactions mattered. The one that did, however, was Allison's. Her eyes were wide and terrified like she was watching the ground under her crumble into nothing. Like she couldn't gasp for breath. The one this missing was shock.

"We don't know yet," Buffy said, her words rushing out and attempting to push Maddie's away. "She could be."

"What do you mean my daughter could be a vampire slayer?" Chris sounded absolutely furious as his tone became louder with every word. "How is that possible?"

Buffy took a step forward, her own tone turning serious. "It's not. Or at least it shouldn't be. We don't know what happened but..."

"And while we're at it, where's your proof?" Chris asked. In Maddie's experience, cutting off Buffy was never a smart and beneficial thing to do but Chris seemed like the one person in the whole world Maddie could see getting away with it. "How do you know it's Allison?"

Buffy's jaw was stiff and clenched. "...We actually don't-"

"They know because I know." Maddie didn't fear cutting Buffy off as much as she felt she should. Maybe she wanted the repercussions, whatever they were. It was better than indifference. Either way, it didn't matter at the moment; what mattered was the confused looks on everyone's faces, except Allison's. It was like they shared the same thought for a moment as Maddie focused her stare on the other teenage girl's. Not a thought actually. A memory of the destroyed locker room, even before Scott and Maddie arrived. Maddie being sent sprawling to the floor with one sharp elbow. "And I know because Allison knows."

Allison's stare was hard before it darted to the ground. Chris turned to his daughter in disbelief, studying her reaction but not responding. Anyone could still see that he wasn't processing the information well - or at all, like a connection got lost.

"Still," Willow said, her voice unsure. Probably from the confusion and tension. "We need a for sure answer."

Buffy nodded, watching Allison as carefully as Maddie was and probably seeing the same reaction. The blonde seemed more sure when she spoke this time, if not disheartened. "We can run some tests just to be positive. Even if she's the one, we don't know to what extent. If she has all of the same powers or..."

"I can handle that part," Maddie cut in and turned to Buffy, who looked, if nothing else, annoyed by the constant interruptions. Then, she turned back to Allison, who looked betrayed despite the waves of sheer terror pulsating off of her. Finally, her eyes landed on Chris, who she'd grown to respect. Chris also seemed a bit betrayed, but also concerned as he looked from his daughter to Maddie. "Allison and I have sparred before. She was good before, but now...I might be the only one who can tell the difference."

* * *

Everything in Maddie was screaming at her that this was a horrible idea and that's not even including the fact that Buffy, Willow, and Xander said the same thing. Still, she had to know. Maybe she wasn't doing this particularly for Allison. Maybe she was just doing this to punish herself, like she was almost completely sure that adding slayer power onto the fact that Allison wasn't a pushover to begin with guaranteed a beating for Maddie. Maybe she deserved it for not saying anything sooner, regardless of circumstance.

She finished wrapping her hands with the athletic tape and tore the rest of the roll off with her teeth. A space had been cleared in the basement, big enough for the two and the onlookers. Victoria and Gerard were still missing and she couldn't have been more grateful for that, but felt the need to get it over with quickly.

Her phone buzzed from across the room and she knew it was Stiles bugging her again and somehow she found this to be a welcome break from the boy and the confusing thought that would typically follow. If nothing else, training always cleared her head.

Allison was standing a few feet away from Maddie in gray sweats with her hair up in a bun. Her fists were also wrapped in tape, only in much smoother lines like she actually knew what she was doing.

Tension rose in the room as Maddie took a defensive stance, her fists balled tightly and her breathing unsteady. Allison mirrored her, like she always did in training - only there was something different in her gaze. Knowing. It was no surprise that Maddie would typically win their bouts and for obvious reasons, but if they were on even footing... Maddie shook her head violently, attempting to shake off some nerves as well.

And it happened. Chris shouted something, most likely 'begin' or some variation because Allison had moved forward and barreled toward Maddie with a punch that she narrowly dodged. She grabbed the arm Allison had punched with attempted to sweep her legs out from under her when Maddie was met with a mule kick to the gut that made her double over. She didn't even realize she'd let go of Allison's arm until she stood up fully and noticed the girl wasn't in front of her anymore. Then she felt a sharp contact with her lower back that made her stumble forward and whip around, only to see Allison back in a fighting stance and grinning. Maddie growled under her breath and moved forward to strike again.

And that was how it went for a good five minutes. Maddie would dodge about half of Allison's moves but Allison would reverse and dodge almost all of Maddie's and somehow hit her or kick her. Bruises were forming on Maddie's stomach and back and arms. She felt out of breath and tired. She felt like she'd been _bludgeoned_. Then she would see Allison again and she looked the exact opposite. She was doing flips in the air like it was nothing and usually, for Maddie, it was. She saw Allison and the girl almost looked energized. Confident. _Alive_.

Allison had just sent Maddie stumbling into the cage door of the gun cabinet head first and Maddie collapsed to her knees as the world spun.

"Allison," she heard Chris say in a warning tone.

Allison didn't seem to hear as Maddie unsteadily got back to her feet and tried to get back to her defensive stance. Allison was already on her, kneeing her in the ribs and Maddie coughed like her lungs were about to come up through her throat.

"Come on," Allison said, quietly at first. The second time, it was a shout. "_Come on!_"

Maybe this was what her bully felt that afternoon when Maddie nearly beat the girl to death. If an eight year old could nearly beat someone to death, what could a seventeen year old do? What could the demon that was ripped out of its place in the universe and put inside this girl do? Maddie was still heaving, only being held up by the metal grate of the cage she was holding onto for dear life.

"ALLISON!" Chris' voice boomed. Maddie looked up, although her head was uncommonly heavy, to see Chris and Buffy standing between the two. Maddie couldn't see Chris' face but she could see Buffy's, because it was directed towards her own. The blonde looked horrified as she stared at Maddie, who was climbing to her feet and leaning all of her weight on the weapon cabinet behind her.

She had been expecting to lose, really. Not like this. Not struggling to stand. She'd never felt so weak.

Oh, but the night - it was still so young.


	40. Chapter Thirty Nine: Unbecoming, Part 2

**A/N: So, this part ended up being way longer than expected, so technically it's a 3 parter. After the rave is when sh*t hits the fan though. Not making any promises but I'll try and get it out sooner rather than later! Also, many of you are wondering why Allison beat Maddie so badly. The answer is coming soon so hold tight!**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty Nine: Unbecoming, Part Two**

* * *

_ "Bottom line is, even if you see them coming, you're not ready for the big moments. No one asks for their life to change, not really. But it does. " _ **\- Whistler, _Buffy the Vampire Slayer,_ **_Becoming, Part One_

* * *

**_One Year and Two Months Earlier_**

Scotland was Maddie's favorite place to live in the world. It was really a shame she couldn't stay.

Instead, Buffy moved the caravan of slayers to San Francisco, a place which Maddie loathed from day one. It was too loud, for one. Walking outside in the foggy moors was calming and silent. California came pre-loaded with its own soundtrack of screaming sirens, thumping sub-woofers in nightclubs, and the chatter of millions all mixing and funneling into white noise at all hours of the day and night. Scotland was all green and gray and neutral even at noon, and the canvas of trees and sky bled into each other. It felt otherworldly. Of course San Francisco felt otherworldly in its own way, too. It was full of bright blues and greens and reds and even the grays felt too saturated, all within the hard, thick brushstroke lines to separate all of it. Well, not so much brushstrokes. More like thick, black permanent marker. There was too much contrast.

Marie loved it. She loved how bright everything was and how loud. She couldn't get enough of it. She couldn't get enough of _people_. Maddie had almost forgotten just how different they were. Maybe that was another reason she hated California - for what it did to Marie. For how it made Maddie cling tighter to the girl, afraid of losing her best friend. Marie didn't seem to mind or, for that matter, notice. When her squad - the A Squad, the best of the best at their base of operations - would split up on patrol, Maddie would immediately grab Marie's hand before she ran off. One thing that never seemed to change was that Marie would grip Maddie's hand just as tightly. It was a comfort every time. Anything, to just not be alone.

Her team did nearly everything together, aside from patrolling. Their bunks were in the same section and they would stay up late and talk all night. They would go out to eat and be so loud (typically because of Marie) that they'd been banned from a few places in town. They'd even go to nightclubs on "teen nights", even when a few of the girls were too young - meaning Maddie and Nora, the youngest at fourteen years old, were too young.

Of course, they didn't care when Marie suggested celebrating Maddie's fifteenth birthday at a warehouse party. They didn't care when Maddie complained as Terra did her makeup - although they should've apparently. Marie had frowned and placed her hands on her hips as she threw the older girl with sandy brown skin, too many mismatched pieces medieval silver jewelry, and jet black hair an annoyed look. "I said edgy, not goth."

They all took Marie's word with a grain of salt when it came to makeup. She thought black eyeliner was goth. Besides, her makeup always made her look fresh faced, like she wasn't wearing any at all. Anything outside of that she called unnatural.

"Hold up, princess," Terra bit back with an eye roll. "You want her to get kicked out because she actually _looks_ fifteen?"

Marie flicked a blonde curl over her shoulder and clicked her tongue on the roof of her mouth before sweeping out of the room and taking any tension with her. Emery sauntered over, adjusting the strap of her white tank top before allowing it to snap lightly against her dark, earthy skin. Her glossy, plum colored lips stretched into a wide smile when she looked from Maddie's face to Terra's. "Boom! Perfection."

"You expected less?" Terra teased.

"Course not. I'm telling you, makeup artistry. Look into it."

Terra snorted a laugh. "Huh. Makeup artist instead of future district attorney? Let me think- _No_."

Em nudged Terra playfully as she adjusted a bronze earring and then squinted at Maddie's face again. She pointed at her right eye. "You missed a spot."

"I'll miss your spot," Terra said and Maddie choked on a laugh.

However, Charlie, who was busy curling her dark brown hair, dropped the iron on the floor and went into hysterics when Marie shouted from the other side of the doorway, "Get a room!"

Nora chuckled from her bed, but the expression on her face immediately drained. Nora was the most left out of the group already, but her age just a bit too young still. Nora, a girl with olive skin and bright green eyes, looked about as out of place as Maddie typically felt. The difference was that Nora didn't have a girl like Marie vouching for her; Maddie, on the other hand...got lucky. What Nora was, though, was the best of the trainees in her bracket - so of course she ended up with them.

Still, she was too loud and too forgetful and, most of all, too confrontational. There was certainly a difference between being good in a room full of watchers as opposed to being good in a mausoleum full of vampires. After three or four patrols, most of the team agreed that they weren't a fan. Maddie didn't mind her, honestly. The girl was everything Maddie was terrified of showing. If she wasn't so afraid of being left behind by Marie and the others, she'd be the same way.

"Okay, baby slayer," Terra cooed, her tone mocking. Maddie's head jerked back over to the girl in front of her, know that it was her that the older slayer was talking about. Terra smirked, her necklaces jingling and clinking together as she turned, grabbed a hand mirror, and offered it to Maddie as she turned back. "Take a good look."

Maddie gave a tight smile in thanks before accepting the mirror and looking into it. Her eyes seemed to be glaring back at her through thick black lines and dark shadow; even though she was sure she wasn't glaring at all. She looked pale, but not unnaturally so. A hardly noticeable pink tint shone on her cheeks and the natural pink of her lips stayed almost the same, only popping slightly. Even the curve of her brows somehow looked sharper. She seemed angry, unapproachable even. She seemed...maybe a little dangerous.

She wasn't quite sure if that's what she wanted. Maybe she really was an angry person, but did she want everyone to see that? Did she want people to see her as someone to be feared? She glanced up at Terra, knowing she probably looked worried. She always looked worried. Terra's grin didn't waver, as if she had been expecting the reaction.

"Are you sure about this?" Maddie asked, gesturing to her face.

Terra quirked an eyebrow. "What were you expecting?"

Maddie glanced at Marie automatically. Marie, the natural beauty with her perfect curls and hypnotic blue eyes. She looked away, her head lowering. Of course, Terra was having none of that as she shot a look to Marie and back to Maddie.

"Word of advice? Grow the hell up. You're not going to be Marie. Ever." Terra's voice was lowered to a whisper but it sounded more like a hiss. The words sliced through Maddie's stomach, her eyes becoming a little glossy and she didn't look up, afraid to allow Terra to see her cry. She hated people seeing her cry and she especially hated how many time they had already. Besides, crying would ruin all of her eye makeup, she assumed. Terra seemed to allow Maddie's head to stay down as she went on. "And stop acting like that's so god damn bad. It's not."

Maddie whispered back, "But I look dangerous."

"And you don't think you are?" Terra sent her a scrutinizing stare that Maddie could only see out of her peripheral. "You spend more time than any girl here training your ass off. You walk around this place with bruised up, bloody knuckles more times than not. Like it's nothing."

Maddie's head jerked up as a new surge of emotion surfaced - only this time, it was rage. "Yeah, and I'm _still_ not as good as the rest of you."

"Jesus! Who cares? So what if you're not the fastest or strongest or whatever? You being on our team wasn't a fluke." Terra rolled her dark eyes as she started to pack away her eyeliner and shadows in a black toolbox. "Sure, maybe we didn't think you'd make it through the first night."

Maddie's teeth gritted and she averted her gaze to the furthest wall. Of course they didn't.

"But Marie pled your case, so I watched you that first night because I wanted to prove that uppity bitch wrong." Terra closed the toolbox and latched it with a loud, metallic 'snap'. "You know what happened that night?"

Maddie huffed, remembering the night. It was a routine patrol, only around a local cemetery, and somehow things had gone awry. She could even remember the smell of decay on the vampire that had grabbed her shirt and flung her into the sharp corner of a mausoleum. "I was attacked."

"You were attacked," Terra repeated and paused, dropping her toolbox right next to her. "You were bleeding so badly that it was getting into your eye and I thought you were done before any of us could get to you. Then you wiped the blood and it smeared all across your face, like war paint. And you looked at it and you smiled. You _smiled_. Like, what, are you a masochist?" Maddie could hear the grin on Terra's face but the girl didn't give her a chance to answer. "Then you got up and you screamed and you went total berserker-mode on his ass. And when I say scream, I mean like - holy crap - you let out a freaking _battle cry_."

Maddie finally looked at Terra again, in disbelief and awe. The person she was describing couldn't have been her. Not even a little bit.

"So, no, you're not Marie. In fact, let me let you in on a little secret." Terra leaned forward and dropped her voice even lower. "She. Is. _Terrified_. Of you." She moved back again and looked Maddie dead in the eye. "You're not the best but you want to be more than anyone else here and that makes people afraid. Own it. The way I see it, don't think of this -" Terra's index finger made a circular motion at Maddie's face. " - as makeup. It's war paint."

It was just then that Maddie realized she was still holding the mirror that was resting on her lap. She raised it and took another look at her face, her own stare burning through her. When she asked her next question, her voice still wavering, she hadn't noticed that Terra was almost completely out of the room. "...Am I going to war tonight?"

"God, you really haven't learned anything, have you?" Terra asked, her tone returning to its more natural state of annoyance. "We're slayers. We go to war_ every_ night."

Maddie's gaze didn't leave the mirror and she forced the corner of her lip up in a smirk. Terra was right; she was utterly terrifying. The smirk slowly turned into a grin and the worry in her stomach faded a little. It was not the last time that night that she found herself grinning. That night would be the night that changed her whole world.

That was the night, she knew now - _fourteen_ months later, that would lead to the worst moment of her life.

* * *

Maddie didn't know what hurt more, her ribs or her pride.

Actually, she knew. It was the ribs, definitely.

She hadn't even had time to recoup or be angry when she was on her way out of the door. She'd already grabbed her jacket and phone. She was already stumbling up the steps, gripping her torso more like she was trying to claw out the broken bones than hold them in place. She didn't want to look into the horror struck face of her aggressor, even when the girl started mumbling under her breath the same three words over and over again.

_"Oh my god. Oh my god, oh my god, ohmygod…"_

_4 Unread Messages, 2 Missed Calls_, she read from the lock screen on her phone as she made her way to her room to change and clean up._ Stiles, Scott_

As she opened the door and unlocked her phone, she plopped the phone face up on her bed and she carefully changed her dirty, sweaty clothes.

**Stiles **『 We're meeting up at the Vet Clinic in an hour 』

**Stiles**『 Hey where are you 』

**Stiles**『 This is important like life or death important we need you 』

Maddie's jaw clenched, half out of annoyance toward Stiles and half anger toward everyone else in the house. She tugged up her jeans, grumbling to herself before she swiped her finger across the screen to view Scott's message.

**Scott** 『 Stiles said he couldn't get a hold of you, what's going on? Are you ok? 』

She quickly pulled her flowy tank top over her head, groaning as she looked out her window. The sun was almost beneath the trees in the distance and the sky burned with pinks and blues and oranges. She'd wasted so much time. In moments, she was hopping out of her room, frantically trying to zip up her boots as she entered the bathroom and closed the door behind her to apply her makeup. Once she had a chance to look up at the mirror, though, horror flitted over her face for a second before she frowned at her reflection.

There was the deep, dark red of dried blood under her nose and just above her upper lip. It was nothing, really. She'd been hurt worse before. She'd done worse. Without meaning to, she allowed an image to slip into her mind. Trista, her second grade bully. Trista, spitting up blood as a stream of tears came from her purple and sickly yellow eye. Trista, who was fighting for breath as Maddie's fist kept colliding with her. She couldn't stop. She was just so...angry. So, so angry and full of hate and power. Trista, who was unconscious when several teachers pried Maddie from the girl. Trista, who was in Intensive Care probably for weeks.

Instantly, Maddie grabbed the washcloth hanging beside her and ran some water over it before scrubbing furiously at the blood. She looked away from her arms and shoulders that were spotted with large, dark bruises and didn't dare lift her shirt to see the rest of the damage. How? How did Allison not only beat her but so handily? Why was Maddie so slow to react?

She pushed the questions aside when she heard her phone buzz in the next room. Now was certainly not the time. She opened up the cabinet under the sink and pulled out a small, black toolbox that was dirty and slightly dented in some places. Night was coming and she had to get ready for war.

When she finally did leave the bathroom minutes later, she checked her phone to see another message from Stiles.

**Stiles **『 If you get this in the next hour please meet us at my place asap if not i'm going to assume something's wrong and we'll come find you 』

Grabbing her things, she loaded them all into the pocket of her messenger bag and tucked her cross into her shirt before throwing on her jacket in one smooth motion, even though the stretching out of her arms and torso felt like knives digging into her ribs. Quickly, she rushed out of the room and shut the door behind her, rounding a corner and seeing Xander at the bottom of the steps. Xander had tried to catch her arm on the way out of the house but she moved quickly away and spun to meet his eye for a moment. "I can't right now. I have somewhere to be."

Her voice was coarse and low, more like a growl than a mumble.

"Maddie, we're worried. What happened down there?" Xander asked, eyebrows knitting together.

"Nothing. I proved a point."

"But why didn't you fight back?"

"I did."

"Have you been feeling alright?"

"I'm fine." She yanked the door open and it groaned loudly. Her eyes scanned the darkness just beyond and she sighed. "We'll talk later. I gotta go."

She turned to him to deliver a hard, resolute look and, before he could argue, she stumbled into a sprint.

* * *

The night had descended and they were running out of time. Where was Maddie?

Scott had only just showed up at Stiles' house to get a ride over to the warehouse that the rave was being held at and the idea was for the two of them and Maddie to head over there in about five minutes. Unfortunately, Stiles hadn't heard from Maddie in hours, since she had gone to find Allison.

That...that was another thing. Allison. Allison was a slayer. A _Vampire Slayer_. So many questions came from that one fact and he could even tell when he looked over at Scott just how distracted he was and probably for the same reason.

Then there was his dad. Stiles recalled the look on his dad's face as he walked into their house, head lowered and eyes empty. Like he'd lost damn near everything. Guilt recoiled in Stiles' gut, weighing him down and making him sick when he looked at his house. Somewhere behind the brick and dry wall, his dad was sitting alone and probably staring at a pile of papers, determined in his futile need to solve the case anyway. All because Stiles screwed up and kept screwing up. What hurt the most was that they both knew that but the only one angry at Stiles was Stiles. He shook his head and looked back at the street.

"Maybe she's on her way," Scott said.

Stiles kicked the ground. "Or maybe something went wrong."

"She's our friend. She'd let us know."

"Or she wouldn't say anything so we wouldn't get hurt," Stiles mumbled, unable to hide his worry and gripping the keys in his pocket tightly. They couldn't wait for her any longer. Maybe it was her tone when those people showed up that made him so uneasy. He didn't trust them and he wasn't sure that Maddie did either. He had watched her take a step back towards him and Scott. They spoke amongst each other like coworkers.

_"We all inherited our powers at once and they found us."_

_"…how long ago was that?"_

_"Eight years."_

That couldn't be possible. It had to have been a one-time thing, like maybe they were being professional because of how serious the situation was. Then again, Maddie never talked about them as people. She brought up her 'watcher' a few times but never mentioned a name. It all felt...cold. Emotionless. For a second he wondered what her real family was like and if she really remembered them. Just as the thought entered his head, however, he felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Scott staring down the street, suddenly alert. "I hear something."

Stiles head shot in the same direction and he squinted, seeing only the bare street of his neighborhood cast is orange light from the street lamps. He strained his hearing for noise aside from the distant cars from the main road. Nothing. "What? What is it?"

There was a long pause and Scott slowly grinned. "Running."

It was several more long seconds before Stiles heard the familiar thudding of boots hitting blacktop and a couple more before he spotted the even more recognizable faded black of a jacket and mahogany brown hair whipping behind the form of a girl. It felt like a large rock had been lifted from his stomach - after a day that made his gut feel more akin to a quarry that Dwayne Johnson worked in.

Maddie sped forward toward them, head down, almost like a bull charging as she gripped the strap of her messenger bag. Or maybe...maybe like she was doubling over? That couldn't be right. When she finally did look up, just seconds before nearly colliding with the side of Stiles' jeep, she staggered slightly to a halt. Her eyes closed again as she winced, dropping her bag and gripping her side. Stiles didn't react nearly as fast as Scott, who rushed over to catch her before she collapsed to the ground. Suddenly, the weight in Stiles' stomach returned tenfold as he went the few feet to her other side.

"Whoa, hey," he said as she shoved herself away from Scott, leaning heavily against the jeep instead - a move that felt annoyingly typical of her but he was too worried to give it much thought. "What happened? Are you okay?"

_Dumb question_, he scolded himself just as Maddie rolled her neck and sent him a glare. For a second, he was sure he was hallucinating because he could've sworn the glare softened but she looked away too quickly for him to tell. "I'm fine. Just healing."

"Healing from what?" Scott asked, concern filling his tone. "What did this?"

She looked at him and Stiles could see her jaw tense. There was something he didn't recognize in her eyes and, just like before, it was gone in a flash - but there was clarity in it that Stiles couldn't ignore. Shame. Scott, on the other hand, seemed to pick this up much quicker and what it meant. He shook his head slowly and his eyebrows furrowed. Maddie looked away again, pushing herself off of the side of the jeep and standing up straight, maybe to say 'no, I'm okay, don't worry' but what came out was something different. "She didn't mean it. It was a test and...and it's a lot of power. She doesn't know her own strength yet."

Scott backed away, silent with his dark eyes downcast. Stiles swallowed, feeling a bit withdrawn from the shock. _Allison did this._

Maddie almost seemed panicked by this, like she'd seen it before. "I was the same way when it happened. The important thing is that she stopped. Some of us...don't."

Stiles didn't want to think about what that could possibly mean but couldn't help it. Had Maddie hurt someone? An innocent someone? He couldn't think about what came after that. There was no way. _You don't know her_, his paranoia argued and he did his best to shake it away.

"Look, now's not the time alright?" Maddie said, her voice tearing through the tense silence. "The others are handling it. We have a kanima to worry about right now."

"She's right," Stiles agreed. Scott shot him a worried look. "Scott, Allison's got a team of people to help her right now. Jackson's next victim doesn't have that luxury right now. We're running out of time."

Scott looked down at the pavement again and nodded. "Yeah."

Without another word, they all moved towards the jeep and both Stiles and Scott opened the doors. Stiles stretched his seat forward and took a step back, allowing Maddie to climb up. She didn't meet his gaze as she threw her bag in the back seat and took a step in, gripping the side of the car to pull herself up. Of course, to throw off her brusque demeanor entirely, her boot slipped from the step with a loud squeak and she was sent stumbling backward right into Stiles.

As a reflex, just as her back collided with his chest, he found himself grabbing her upper arms to steady her. He didn't even realize that he was gently holding her against him until the faint smell of her hair wafted through his nose, snapping him out of his stupor. He didn't think he'd ever like the smell of pears that much in his life. She had stiffened for a moment and didn't immediately wrench out of his grip like he expected. _Maybe she hurt herself,_ he thought, silently scolding himself for enjoying her warmth for that tiny moment in time. She had to have hurt herself. That was the only reason he could think of to explain why she wasn't moving.

"You okay?" He knew he'd already asked this early and that she hated that question more than anything. It had come out so softly that it was almost a whisper in her ear and he felt her shift ever so slightly, possibly in discomfort.

It was only another moment before she finally ripped herself away from him. Not only that, but it was so sudden and so harsh that it left Stiles frozen just as he had been a moment before. She climbed in with no more problems and without even a side glance, gruffly muttering, "I said I'm fine."

And it was like nothing had happened at all. If he was being honest with himself, he probably just made up her hesitation in his head. Still, he felt cold, colder than he had before it happened._ Not the time, dumbass._ He shook the cold off and readjusted his seat before hopping in the driver's side and slamming the door shut. Like he had said just moments before, time was running out.

He revved the engine and whipped out of the driveway, speeding toward their destination.


	41. Chapter Forty: Unbecoming, Part 3

**A/N: HOLY MOTHER OF GOD. This chapter...this freaking chapter. It's huge, both in length and in, well, everything else. Also, I apologize in advance to all the Buffy fans in this chapter. She's one of my favorite characters but sometimes...things happen. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Forty: Unbecoming, Part Three**

* * *

_January 2011_

The music pulsed and screamed against the walls of the warehouse and it was so hot and muggy that even the exposed drywall looked like it was sweating. The thick air smelled strongly of alcohol and weed and men's cologne, causing Maddie to grimace whenever she took a deep inhale through her nose. There were far too many people crammed into the old building that everyone moved almost as one to avoid pressing up any tighter together. Not that they would've minded, Maddie assumed. If nothing else, she felt like every person around her thrived off of full-body contact. Girls were in thin crop tops or bikini tops and shorts that were made of fabrics that were every color of the rainbow (there was even a girl with _rainbow_ shorts). The men were generally more clothed in their jeans and ribbed tank tops. Then again, there were several people simply not wearing shirts at all and Maddie remembered blushing furiously the first few times she saw this.

This was _not_ how Maddie imagined celebrating her fifteenth birthday. Like, at all. She wanted a night of old sitcoms and maybe a few rounds of Super Smash Bros. She never in her short life thought that she would end up at one of those crazy warehouse parties that roam every week to a new location. She never thought she would be standing against a wall in her brand new Doc Marten boots (a gift from Faith earlier that day), a pair of silver-studded black shorts, and a loose black band tee with the sleeves ripped off that read _METALLICA: RIDE THE LIGHTNING _(complements of Terra, yet again). She never thought that she'd be wearing thick black makeup that curtained her eyelids or that her hair would be ironed into massive, teased waves. She never thought that she'd feel so badass.

Still, she felt...off. Like she was in a full body costume or armor. Like she couldn't tell yet if she was in a masquerade or a gladiator arena. Like she was so much smaller than this world she walked into only an hour ago. She didn't care for the techno music pounding through her bones. She didn't know anyone but the rest of her team and they had gone in different directions mere minutes after the five walked through the door. The large tan man at the door hadn't even asked for ID. He just _let_ them in. It kind of annoyed her - partially because that meant that just anyone could get in and partially because that meant she'd have to stay.

At the moment, Maddie was flat against a wall, leaning so hard that she was half hoping the wall would absorb her or, more realistically, crack so that she could sneak out. Marie had tried once already to pull her to the center of the room, a large smile practically splitting her face in two as she shouted, "Dance with me!"

Maddie had shaken her head and let go of her hand and Marie didn't seem to notice as a man with no shirt and long hair the color of mud whispered something in her ear and she was led away. Now, she was currently dancing between him and a girl with white-blonde hair and no shoes (and, again, no shirt for that matter). They moved like three snakes writhing side by side, hair and skin (lots of skin) drenched in sweat. At least she's having fun.

Somewhere in the room, she knew that Charlie was dancing alone, spinning and twirling in the heat of the lights and bodies, and enjoying her solitude. Charlie wasn't here for grinding up against boys or girls and everyone already seemed to know that and kept their distance. Still, people watched as she moved effortlessly on the floor and sang along to the lyrics. Always the best dancer, always the best singer. She told them once that she wanted to be an Idol before she was taken from La Palma, California when she was nine. None of the other girls knew what that meant at the time and it wasn't until she blasted a K-Pop group called _Jewelry_ and sang along to their songs every morning that they began to understand. If anyone was bitter about their fate - becoming a Slayer - it was her. Charlie Jheon was too kind and too talented for the life she was handed. She deserved better. And so, to break free of her sadness and rage, she sang and danced within the confines of these four walls, crowded with strangers. She was quite the spectacle.

Maddie scanned the room for the two older girls, Teresa and Emery. She wouldn't at all be surprised if Terra and Em were in some corner of the room making out, to be honest. They were the last ones to check up on her and, even then, they were pawing at each other, swaying to their own beat. That was how they lived though, to their own beat. The clichéd cheerleader and punk, both so unapproachable and untouchable, like they lived on an entirely different plane of existence. Once Maddie had confirmed that she was fine, they Em led Terra away as Terra gripped Em's exposed waist. Maddie had never been so envious of two people, of the way Terra smiled when Em would hold her hand and nuzzle the crook of her neck. They were like some enormous ball of light that illuminated _any_ room and _every_ person. Everyone could feel it and everyone wanted to be around it.

Even now, Maddie found herself scanning the room filled with warm and low orange light and glistening, moving bodies. At least Terra and Em would be a comfort to have around. Instead, she found nothing. It was too packed and there wasn't near enough light. Faces were nothing but shadows and blurs.

Maybe that's why he bumped into her. Maybe it was just an accident. Maybe, on the other hand, he meant it. She'd never find out either way.

She felt one of the many bodies collide with her side, but it hardly jostled her. It did, however, gain her attention as they paused in front of her. When she turned and looked up, she saw only the tall, sinewy outline until a violet spotlight glided past them, revealing a boy with a strong jawline, mussed black hair, and bright eyes that she couldn't identify the color of in the orange haze. What she did see though was shock in them, which faded lazily into an inscrutable, half lidded gaze as his lips stretched into a Cheshire cat grin. He looked young, at least young enough to attend one of the local high schools but there was really no telling if that were true. He was..._pretty_. Like, ridiculously pretty. She wanted to think 'handsome' but the word 'pretty' was just too perfect.

Maddie, who had been studying the boy's face, shifted her gaze away, feeling as though the heat of the warehouse sank into her skin and rose in her chest. She folded her arms over her chest and kept her gaze on the ground. So what if he was attractive and had really nice arms? Who cared? Not her. Not even a little. He walked over to the small space of wall right beside her and leaned, crossing his arms. She eyed him from her periphery and noted that his gaze was on the crowd.

"God damn, they're like animals," he said and his voice was deep and gravelly. Immediately, it felt like her ears had tuned into him and only him, like the music that was almost deafening had lowered a few notches.

There was a long pause. Did he expect a reply? She huffed quietly. "They're having fun."

"They're high!" he said with a laugh. "Or drunk! You'd be surprised how low your standards for entertainment are with people taking shots and getting faced out in basement of this place."

"Taking shots and _what?_"

He laughed again and it was like a melody. "You're _way_ too young to be here."

"You don't know that," she replied instantly, a bite in her tone at the accusation. Even if he was right and she kind of agreed. "You don't _know_ me."

"I know girls _like_ you. So, let me save you the afterschool special."

This time her head whipped in his direction, black eyes narrowed on him. "_Girls like me, _believe it or not, can take care of themselves. So _boys like you_ should watch their mouths before they hurt themselves."

He quirked a thick, dark eyebrow and looked like he was about to burst out laughing again. "Is that a threat?"

_Pretty and dumb. Just my luck._ The corners of her mouth rose in a thin smile as she squared her shoulders and channeled Terra. "Well, if you _knew_ me, you'd also know that I don't make threats."

This time both of his eyebrows raised and he uncrossed his arms, holding his hands up half way in surrender. "Yikes. Sorry. Just...don't beat me up okay?" He said it with another laugh, like it was a _joke_, and a jolt of annoyance shot through Maddie. "It was just a friendly warning. I just know these parties never end well."

Maddie scoffed. "Then why are you even here?"

He dropped his hands and stuffed them in the pockets of his jeans. "To meet interesting people." With a boldness that baffled Maddie, he nudged her arm with his and the small contact of skin on skin felt electric. "For instance."

She shook off the heady rush and rolled her eyes so hard it hurt a little. "I was going for intimidating," she grumbled.

"Okay," he started and she could hear the smile in his voice. "What about cute and a little bit scary?"

Maddie was suddenly thankful for the orange light washing out all of the other colors in the room, including her beet red cheeks. She stayed silent for most of the night after that, watching the masses being absorbed into a different world. The boy beside her would tell story after story of warehouse parties and each one sounded more outlandish than the last. He told pretentious jokes that Maddie didn't understand but the way he spoke the words, like they were chosen carefully and just for her, made her grin.

As the music died and the people cleared out and Maddie's face hurt from smiling so much, he finally gave her his name. Elliott.

He asked if she wanted to know where the next party would be. In retrospect, she wished she hadn't said yes. She wished she'd seen Marie watching them. She wished she never even learned his name.

Maybe then, she wouldn't look back on that night as the night she made every wrong choice.

Maybe, just maybe, Elliott and Marie would've survived the following spring.

* * *

She didn't fall.

It was a couple of seconds. A blip. A nothing. A moment of nothing.

A moment.

A _mistake_.

She remembered the panic she felt when her foot slipped, the feeling of falling as her hand lost grip on the cool metal of the blue jeep. She thought she would just fall down, land on the pavement, and get back up. Instead, she stumbled backwards and hit something firm. Hands gripped her upper arms on either side, steadying her so that she wouldn't fall over. And she didn't. She definitely didn't fall.

Her entire body had stiffened, still in pain from earlier. Still covered in bruises and hiding cracked ribs beneath the purple skin. She had leaned against him, limbs still and muscles tense, remembering how hard her back had hit the concrete wall of the Argents' basement and especially remembering the sharp knee to her spine delivered by Allison. Leaning against Stiles, even for a moment, had made it difficult to _not_ relax. He was pleasantly warm, but she expected that. She didn't expect the number it would do on her the second time around. She didn't expect her heartbeat to hiccup the moment he caught her, or for it to continue on faster and faster after that. Naturally, she twisted out of his grasp.

It was the dream that did this. That made her think, even for a second, that Stiles was anything more than just that - Stiles. It twisted her view on him. Every moment that she even started a thought considering otherwise felt like insanity. She remembered that feeling; she recalled being so infatuated that it felt like she lost her mind. In the same moment, she remembered that Marie really did lose it.

That's what feelings did, though. They drove people insane.

Three hundred and fifty-eight days ago, there was nothing but insanity. Nothing but pain and death, the smell of blood and rot. Nothing but heavy sheets of rain soaking her to the bone and leaving her skin an icy, pale blue. She touched the long scar on her stomach through her thin top, willing herself not to forget. Willing herself to play the lone soldier and willing away the hollow feeling when she thought of how she shrugged off Stiles' grip on her.

No, it wasn't hollowness. She understood what it was like to feel hollow, cavernous even. This was guilt. Pity, even. Nothing good came from developing romantic intentions towards a Slayer. It ended the same way every time. She wouldn't wish her life on anyone, especially not a friend. _Because that's what he is. _It wasn't a bad thing; it was more than she could've hoped for at a time when she didn't really hope for anything. She appreciated her friendship with him more than she could possibly express. Some days, it felt more real than anything else she had. That was all there needed to be.

She wasn't going to pretend that he hadn't taken several long looks at her through the rearview mirror or that his fingers were drumming on the steering wheel louder than usual. And she sure as hell wasn't going to act like it wasn't an awkward and completely silent ride all the way to the rave.

Once they exited the car, the three huddled by the warehouse and Scott began explaining the plan. The syringe would incapacitate Jackson, the mountain ash would trap him (Stiles was in charge of that), and they'd be actively working with Derek's pack to pull all of this off.

Maddie grimaced at Scott and he gave her a pleading look. She didn't say anything in return. Honestly, the last thing she could stand at the moment was another argument. She felt like she'd been worn down too much in the past twelve hours, like someone had taken a sandblaster to her brain and all that was left was dust.

In that instant, Scott sniffed the air, something catching his attention. His calm dissolved to panic and the ground felt almost like it was wavering under Maddie's feet. "What?"

He wasn't paying attention anymore. "No! Not now!"

Maddie looked over at Stiles, who was gaping at where Scott stood only moments before. His eyes shot over at hers, mirroring her current state which was equivalent to being pushed off a cliff and waiting for the feeling of free falling.

That was when she heard a rumbling. A car engine. Suddenly Stiles' face was illuminated with a harsh white light and she turned to the source. An old, silver Camry stopped a few yards away, engine rumbling like a low growl as it idled. One of the back passenger doors swung open and a flash of blonde hair swept across her view. Something hardened in her gut and she turned to Stiles with a deep frown before jogging over to the car.

Once Maddie passed the headlights, Buffy came into better view and so did the worry on her face as she nodded for them to step further away. Maddie begrudgingly obliged, folding her arms as if they could shield her from whatever Buffy would say. Once they stopped, Buffy turned back to her. "Maddie-"

"What the hell are you doing here?" Maddie didn't know why she burst out like that, like even Buffy saying her name was enough to send a jolt of anger through her. Her jaw clenched as Buffy's mouth hung open. "I can't do this right now."

Buffy swallowed and looked down for a moment and then back up at Maddie. "Now's really all we've got. Listen, something's wrong..." There was a beat, like even she was having trouble understanding what she was saying. "With you. Your powers, I mean."

Maddie felt a stabbing pain in her chest, first because she'd just been told there was something wrong with her and second because she already knew there was something wrong with her slayer powers. If anything, she felt it during her fight with Allison. She felt like she'd been moving in slow motion and like her bones were dried up twigs. It still hurt to breathe too deeply but it was getting better...just not as quickly as it used to.

She suddenly remembered how quick and how spry Allison had been and the anger she'd been trying to keep at bay spider webbed through her chest and lodged in her throat. She looked up at the older blonde. Buffy still couldn't look her in the eye when she spoke again. "I don't know what sort of Freaky Friday mojo happened here but we need to get to the bottom of it. We need to go back to headquarters. All of us."

Her stomach and all the emotions of the past few hours bottomed out and just for a moment, Maddie felt numb. Like she wasn't even in her body, like she was watching the moment pass between two strangers from afar. The white noise in her head cleared in the next moment and she was slammed back into reality with such force that it almost hurt. A seething rage filled her up so much that her eyes felt like they were floating in it. They suddenly narrowed on Buffy. "No."

Now, Buffy's eyes landed on Maddie, confusion on her tired face. "What?"

"No." Maddie shook her head, even as her insides wavered. She'd never disagreed with Buffy out loud no matter how much she wanted to, not ever. As hurt and as angry as she'd been the past few years, she'd never had the guts. Buffy might've been the only person she'd never been outright belligerent with and she couldn't help but think that may have been the reason she was so terrible toward everyone else. Maybe that was her anger talking but today had been too much and this moment felt all wrong. She couldn't leave. She couldn't. She pushed her chin out and looked at the woman with a hard, black stare. "I'm not leaving. And I'm not doing this right now."

"Not doing what?" Buffy asked. Her tone was turning irritated and Maddie couldn't help but feel justified.

"This. Talking to you," she said, squaring her shoulders. "I'm not going to talk to you and I'm not leaving."

Buffy folded her arms as well. "This is important. Life or death! "

"You don't even _know_ that yet." Maddie unfolded her own arms and gesture to the warehouse that was already pulsating with heavy bass. "Also - so is what I'm doing! You of all people should get that! Just, I don't know! Go back to the Argents' house or something. I'm busy right now."

"Hey! Commanding officer here! Hello!" Buffy waved a hand in front of Maddie's face and rage flared in her chest again. She hated when Buffy would do this, pull rank. Take away the mask of awkward and forced sympathy. "I'm not going to just go away."

_Liar. _Going away was all she ever did. Maddie thought back to the first time she left without a word, when Maddie was eleven and terrified. She asked Xander where she went and for years Xander gave her the same answer.

_"It's complicated."_ It was always complicated. _"She wishes she could be here."_ No, she didn't. But Maddie accepted the words every time, she would swallow them down and let them sit in her stomach even as they sharpened into a blade and shredded her insides. By the time Xander said it the day Maddie was leaving for Beacon Hills, it felt as though there was nothing left inside to slash or cut. It didn't hurt because there was nothing left to hurt, she'd convinced herself.

It did hurt. It hurt because, in one sentence, Buffy invalidated the one thing Maddie might've forgiven her for, the thing that shaped her. Whatever was caged in her chest broke through its iron bars like they were made of straw and she couldn't stop what left her mouth. "And why not? It's what you're good at."

Buffy looked like she'd been punched in the gut. "...Excuse me?"

Maddie knew this feeling, this rage and freedom. It was what she unleashed when she stared into her bully's bloodied face. It was like a scale had tipped in her favor. "I've been doing fine here on my own for months, and even before that. Without you." That part felt unbelievably good to say. It was the most power she's had in days. "This is my fight. My crisis. I'll handle it. That's what you wanted, right?"

"It's not just yours anymore." Buffy was still recovering and sucked in a deep breath before doing the one this she hadn't done in years. She looked at Maddie, not through. She could see her and her words didn't match the look on her face. "This is a whole lot bigger than you."

"But not you," Maddie bit back. A flood gate of terrible thoughts had been torn off of its hinges and spilled out of her mouth in vicious waves. "I don't see why. It's another Slayer for you to ignore. For, what, Kennedy to train? For Xander to keep an eye on? Not that you know the Argents well enough to know that you'll have to pry that girl from their cold dead hands." The Argents. Did Buffy know anything about the Argents? Did she know about Kate or Gerard? Did she have any idea what she'd thrown Maddie into? A laugh left Maddie's lips, but it sounded more like a bitter, hollow bark. "You'd have to know more than what you can write on the back of a photo in five minutes."

Buffy gaped for a moment, eyebrows furrowed so deeply that they almost met in the center. "What the hell is this? What, some teen rebellion thing? Some pent up aggression from what happened to Marie-"

"DON'T say that name!" It almost came out as a scream and she prayed that Scott and Stiles wouldn't run over and witness what was happening. She couldn't help it though. No one had said that name to her since the night in the alley. She certainly hadn't heard Buffy say it even before that, maybe in years. The weight it carried was enough to make her feel like she was sinking. "You do not _get_ to say that name! You didn't even _know_ her and you sure as hell don't know me. You didn't even try."

Buffy looked away again, down at the blacktop and then back to Maddie. "You don't understand..." she started softly.

"I don't understand? Ha!" Another angry, barking laugh. "If anything, _you_ don't understand. You don't get it. You made some big, grandiose power play and didn't even _think_ of the aftermath! Instead you passed off a bunch of scared girls to your friends. And when they needed you the most...!" _When I needed you most. _She swallowed the words and started again, her voice lower. "You act like I've hated you since you buried my best friend but you're wrong...because you turned your back on us _way_ before that."

"I'm sorry, okay?" The last word may have sounded like a plea but there was an edge growing in Buffy's voice, like Maddie had dug something up that she was never supposed to find. "I'm sorry that I had more than one girl to worry about. I'm sorry that I couldn't be there for _every_ bad thing that happened. I'm sorry that the world didn't stop for you and your friend." That one stung the most. It wasn't an apology; it was defensive and almost spiteful. "But guess what! That's the life of a Slayer. That's what happens. A lot of the time all you _have_ is you and I can't spare you from that. The world keeps spinning and we have to keep going-"

"Stop it!" Maddie was shouting again and she felt like a child. Children had innocence and she hadn't felt like a child in a very long time. She felt old, too old to be sixteen. Buffy's tone and her words were insulting. "Don't act like you _ignoring_ people is some life lesson! I'm sick of the holier-than-thou speeches! This is on you." Maddie pointed an accusatory finger at the woman and Buffy looked as if it was a knife she'd just been stabbed with. "_You_ made us what we are. Thousands of girls who will never fit anywhere. Who have nothing. We just fight and fight and fight...until there's _nothing left!_ And we're just..._dead!_" Maddie's words were coming out strangled and gravelly from shouting - and maybe from something else. Something that had been buried in her anger. Pain. Fear. Perhaps a combination of the two. There was a beat of silence as she looked to the ground and tried to take hold of her emotions. "...That's when you show up. Just in time to collect the bodies. And then you leave. _Again_. So, Buffy, do what you're best at."

Maddie couldn't see the woman's face but when she spoke there was a strangeness in her voice, like pushing the words out hurt. "I leave...because I have to. I... I need to be your teacher. I can't be your parent. The best lesson I can give is to step away and let you find your own way, your own...group. Until then, you need to be self-sufficient. That's the lesson. It sucks, believe me. I know that better than anyone. But it's what we _have_ to do."

Maddie looked up from the ground to the woman whose eyes were wide and pleading. Maddie could still feel the power behind her anger and how clear it made the world around her. She couldn't stop until Buffy knew. Until she understood. "Self-sufficient? You didn't teach us to be self-sufficient, you taught us to be hard! You taught us to suffer in silence! You taught us to distance ourselves from people, from anything that makes us feel..."

She trailed off for a second. _Normal._ She thought of Allison first. She thought of the day in the gym, being accused of distancing herself from everyone because she couldn't accept help. Some innocent bystander died that night because she couldn't let anyone know she needed someone.

Then she thought of Stiles and something twisted violently in her stomach. All of the talks. All of the dumb jokes. She'd spent most of the time she knew him telling him to shut up when all he probably wanted was to understand. Why the hell did he have to care so damn much when she didn't know how to care for someone else? She didn't know how to be a friend. She didn't even know if she and Marie were ever friends.

Her anger had ebbed slightly and she suddenly felt exhausted, like there was nothing left to be angry about. When she looked Buffy in the eye - in those withdrawn green eyes - she felt something though, at the bottom of the Pandora's Box of her emotions. Disappointment. "From anything that makes us feel _human._ Because human's too hard, right? I get that that's you but, you know what?" Something in her chest felt like it was slowly dying and she was sure it was the little girl who saw the woman in front of her as her hero. She wasn't crying to go home anymore. Home didn't exist and she wasn't a child in need of saving. "...I don't want to be Buffy Summers. I don't want to be a coward."

The word left Maddie's lips so easily that she didn't feel like she had crossed a line until she felt the stiff backhand across her cheekbone. She stumbled to the ground, gravel digging into her palms and something black and cold spreading through her as she looked at the ground in horror. Whatever had been dying in her chest moments before felt like it had been ripped out and strangled to death in one smooth motion. The right side of her face was on fire and she lifted a hand to touch her cheek. As she did, raw, searing pain shot through and she let out the tiniest of whimpers. She pulled her hand away and looked at it, seeing a small dot of red on her finger. Buffy had hit her so hard that she was bleeding. Buffy did this. It kept happening on repeat, over and over in her head in a loop.

"Maddie," Buffy began, sounding like she was on the verge of tears.

Her chest felt like a black pit that had sucked in anything good or bright and left her with nothing but pain and disgust and something worse than anything else. Something she hadn't felt since Marie stuck a dagger in her stomach. Betrayal. She couldn't even look at Buffy. "Get away from me."

She could hear Buffy's breathing quicken and heard her footsteps getting closer. "Maddie, I'm so sorry..."

"Stay away! _Leave!_" Maddie shouted as loud as she could, her voice breaking. She couldn't look up now. She couldn't let Buffy see all that pain and fear. All of the hate swallowing her up.

She slowly got to her feet and turned away. She knew Buffy hadn't moved and wouldn't if she turned around. Instead, she ran. She ran as fast as she could, passing Xander's car and head toward Stiles' jeep. She almost collided with it but came to an unsteady halt just before and put her hands on the hood to keep herself upright.

She had never felt so angry. Maddie knew that she should've been something more than that, sad maybe. She should've been crying but she couldn't. She couldn't will the tears to come. There was nothing and it only made her angrier. She wanted to hit something, repeatedly. She wanted to feel something more than rage. Instead, she focused on calming her breathing. She had to control something. She had to.

Why was she so god damn out of breath?

She heard a car door slowly open and close several yards from her and a long moment of silence. She wondered if Xander would be next, or Willow. Would they force her to leave? Would they drag her kicking and screaming? She didn't know anymore.

A few long, silence minutes passed and the engine of the Camry rumbled back to life. It sounded like there was almost a hesitation as she heard the low crackling of gravel under the wheels as the car pulled away and drove off into the night. It felt like a part of her - an important part - left with them and she wanted to scream in that moment as loud as she could until her voice was sore. Instead she squeezed her hands into fists with all of her strength, nails digging painfully into her palms and arms shaking.

She couldn't tell how long she stayed that way, standing there alone in the heavy, thick silence. She couldn't tell how many times she replayed the moment in her head but it was all she could see, over and over again on some sick loop. She needed to do something, to fight something. Anything.

It was then that she realized something else. She was alone - in the physical sense. In the 'Stiles was here not too long ago' sense, to be more accurate. This whole thing had started without her. Had she been gone that long?

She pulled herself away from the jeep, still unsteady on her feet, and walked around to the door of the warehouse. As she stood there, a few feet from the open entrance, something felt wrong, like a warning. She felt as if she were in front of a wall. Still, she moved forward until she felt like she slammed face first into a wall. She stumbled back a step, looking around. There was no wall blocking her. It was then that she looked at the ground, a line of black ash stretching to her left and right and all the way around the building, out of sight. She raised a hand and pressed against the invisible force field. It didn't hurt to touch but it was certainly solid, like she could probably lean against it if she wanted to. She considered it, as tired and sore and weak as she felt. Still, that would look weird if anyone came out and saw her.

Wasn't this supposed to block out monsters? Did the universe not even see her as human? She didn't have time to think about that now.

That was when Stiles bolted out of the door of the warehouse, spotting her immediately. He just needed to catch her up to speed so she could do something. She needed a goal. She needed to help. To not feel useless. He walked over to her, easily crossing over the mountain ash, of course. "Maddie! Thank god. We have a situation."

"Okay, yeah." She nodded a little too quickly but wasn't able to look him in the eye and her voice still sounded scratchy and weak. "What's going on?"

Stiles paused for a split second, doing a double take of her. Maybe he noticed that she didn't sound quite right. _Or worse..._ "Are you okay?"

Maddie looked up at him, his eyes wide and his eyebrows furrowed. He looked so, so worried. For her. And it made her angry all over again. How dare he care so much? Why? She'd been nothing but mean and violent towards him from day one. She yelled at him for saving her life. She avoided him like the plague because of some dumb dream like it dictated her whole life. She'd been awful.

Stiles looked even more worried when she didn't answer and something on her face caught his attention. He lifted a hand, slowly raising and gently touching her cheek, just outside the cut. It still stung and she winced, knowing already that it was swelling. When she looked back at him, his eyes were on hers again. "What happened?"

And the loop started again. Every terrible word, becoming an exclamation with the back of Buffy's hand across her cheek. She felt raw and exposed and so _angry_, like some sort of wounded animal. She wanted to hit something, maybe even Stiles. He was such an idiot. Why wouldn't he just leave her alone from the beginning? Why did he have to be right here?

She was crumbling to nothing and in that instant, she felt herself lunge forward and saw him flinch.

She hugged him. Maddie hugged him so tight, her arms around his neck like if she let go, she'd collapse. She might've. She couldn't explain it. She couldn't comprehend the moment; she just knew how unfathomably sad and hollow she felt. She also knew that he wouldn't push her away. She squeezed her eyes shut and, after a few seconds, she felt his arms loop around her back. He didn't say anything at all, she just held her against him for a long moment. He was so warm and steady that she was afraid to let go. This...this was the only moment all day that made sense and that didn't hurt.

Until she heard someone running up to them. Stiles must've heard it too because they both immediately and mutually let go to turn and see who it was. Derek acknowledged both of them but thankfully not whatever moment the two just had. Unfortunately, Stiles wasn't quite as smooth about it. "Hey! Um..." He shook his head quickly, probably regaining his focus before looking at Derek again and gesturing to the warehouse. "Yeah, so...We kinda lost Jackson inside, but it's-"

"You _what?!_" Maddie cut him off and Stiles looked over at her in shock, most likely expecting this reaction from Derek. Whatever fuzziness in her head sharpened in that moment, thoughts circling back to the matter at hand.

He didn't have time to answer as Isaac and Erica ran outside through the door, both of them looking down almost instantly. Isaac walked closer to the line of mountain ash and back up at Erica. They felt it too.

"Oh my god! It's working!" Stiles shouted, sounded far more excited than any of the others looked. Maddie shot him a glance and she noticed that Derek was still looking at the warehouse, far more concerned. Stiles, of course, was grinning his wide, goofy grin, swelling with pride. "This is...!" He made a sort of happy grunting noise and turned to Derek. "I did something!"

"Yeah and now we can't help anyone in there," Maddie said, motioning to Derek. It was definitely a new experience to consider her and Derek a united front but they seemed to have common goals for the moment. Derek gave her a knowing look, as if he knew the mountain ash would affect her this way.

Stiles turned to her with a questioning glance. "Wait, we?"

"Yes, _we_." she reply, her tone exasperated. Maddie rolled her eyes but the light moment didn't last as a howl roared over the music from much farther away.

"Scott?" Derek asked quietly and suddenly Maddie's alarm rose.

Stiles glanced at him again, confused. "What?"

"Break it." Derek's voice was calm but there was something urgent in it.

Stiles looked down at the mountain ash and back up at Derek incredulously. "What? No way!"

"Scott's dying!"

"Okay, what? How do you know that?"

"Oh my god, Stiles! I just know! Break it!"

Stiles quickly bent down and swiped a break in the line of ash. The feeling of a wall standing between Maddie and the warehouse lifted instantly and Derek ran across the rest and out of sight. Part of her was ready to run in and help but instead before she did, she mumbled, "If there was ever a question of what a Slayer really is..."

She caught sight of an almost sympathetic look on Erica's face as she heard Stiles say, "C'mon, Mads. You're not a monster."

She turned to him, a weak flare of anger making her sound bitter. "And how would you know? Are you some sort of demonology expert?"

"No, I just know you." Stiles shrugged. "You care too much." Her face fell and she gaped at him slightly for a moment. He sent her a sad smile and nodded toward the building. "Go help."

There was a moment of silence as she nodded before she sprinted into the warehouse while people filed out. She dodged several people rushing to the exit but, within the first few moments she was inside, collided with one. She shook off the momentary shock and looked to see a familiar girl. The one she'd brushed off in the hallway weeks ago. The one that was with Allison earlier today. The stare the girl gave Maddie was more of a glower, honestly. Maddie mumbled a "sorry" but stopped again, remembering the words she said to the girl that day.

_"Get out while you still can."_

She stopped as the blonde passed her and turned as she called back, "...I'm sorry."

There was a brief pause. The blonde stopped and Maddie could've sworn she heard a low, hollow laugh. The girl turned around and sauntered over to Maddie, a smile on her lips. Not a normal smile though; the type of smile Kate had on her face when she pointed her gun at Scott's head. It felt...wrong. The girl's eyes' narrowed. "You're sorry?"

The girl was Maddie's height but her aura felt massive. It felt monstrous. Maddie tilted her head and studied the girl but in the next second, the blonde threw her across the room and she landed hard on the concrete floor. More cracked ribs. She landed wrong on her arm. It might've been broken.

Before she could get up, the blonde was in front of her and her hand clasped tightly around Maddie's neck. Slowly, she was lifted up from the ground, grasping at the girl's arm and coughing. Her windpipes had closed completely and she could feel her lungs shriveling up. The girl smiled again but her voice came out as a growl. "No, Slayer. You're not _sorry_. Not yet."

The blonde let go and Maddie crumbled to the floor as she strolled out. On the floor of the club that was now quiet, Maddie coughed as she tried to suck a breath in. Everything was so glaringly wrong. More than she ever could've anticipated.

* * *

"We gotta go back, Buff," Xander pleaded, his tone quiet.

Buffy stared out the window, scenery passing in shadows against the moonlight. They'd passed the 'Now Leaving Beacon Hills' sign a while back and headed north, towards home. It had been a mistake. The whole thing. They should've never handed this mission over to Madeline. She wasn't ready and now it didn't matter if she was ready or not. Her gaze was distant, glassy. She shook her head. "No. No, we can't."

"Well, we have to do something, right?" Willow replied as she looked at Xander and then to Buffy, concern written all over her face. "We can't just leave them there alone. They need someone, both of them. A Watcher, at least."

"We don't exactly have enough goin' around to send over there," Xander countered. "There's about one Watcher for every fifty slayers. We don't have the numbers."

"We have trainees," Willow said but her voice wavered. "But I'm pretty sure that's how this mess started."

"Yeah, sending a junior Watcher to the field might just make the situation nuclear," Xander quipped, his tone somber.

There was a pause before they heard Buffy from the backseat. "Send the best one we've got."

"Travers?" Xander asked aloud, but he was sure Buffy didn't know anyone living with that name. "...I don't think she's ready. And I'm not really looking to relive the Wesley situation."

"Then we don't send her alone," Buffy added as if a light had been switched on in her brain. "We send a friend with her."

"A friend?" Xander looked at Buffy in the rearview mirror. "...As in one of our friends?"

Willow gasped loudly and the greens of her irises almost glowed. "Ooh! No! I mean, yeah but..." She smiled for the first time in the entire trip. "I know a guy."

The car drove off into the night and two phone calls were made.

* * *

_"So, what are we, helpless? Puppets? Nah. The big moments are gonna come, you can't help that. It's what you do afterwards that counts. That's when you find out who you are._

_You'll see what I mean."_

**\- Whistler, _Buffy the Vampire Slayer,_ _Becoming, Part One_**


End file.
